What Is IV Infiltration?
IV infiltration happens when the fluids that are supposed to stay inside your vein leak into the tissue around it. This usually occurs because the tiny plastic tube (catheter) slips out of the vein or pokes through the vein wall. If the fluid leaking out is a harsh medication (called a "vesicant"), it can cause severe chemical burns and tissue death.
Medical studies report IV infiltration rates ranging from about 15% to more than 30%, with average findings placing the rate near one in four IV placements. Even in more conservative research, infiltration and extravasation still affected roughly 14% of patients, making it a frequent and well-documented problem in healthcare settings.
What makes IV infiltration so difficult for patients is how routine the process is supposed to be. Starting an IV is a basic skill taught early in medical training. The steps are straightforward: the provider cleans the area, selects a vein, often near the elbow or wrist, and gently inserts the catheter. The process is quick, typically requires no anesthesia, and is not considered invasive.
Once the IV is in place, it’s secured with tape and connected to tubing that delivers fluids or medication at a controlled rate. Just as important as placing the IV is watching it.
When the IV is no longer needed, it’s removed, a small bandage is applied, and the site usually heals on its own without follow-up care. That’s how it should go.
When warning signs are missed or ignored, the consequences can be life-changing. IV infiltration injuries often stem from breakdowns in attention, hygiene, or monitoring during a procedure that should never spiral into something far more serious.
How Does IV Infiltration Happen?
IV infiltration usually starts with a simple problem: the catheter isn’t where it’s supposed to be. Either it was never placed fully inside the vein, or it shifted after insertion. When that happens, fluids or medication can escape into surrounding tissue instead of flowing safely through the bloodstream.
There are several ways this can occur, many of which are tied to everyday decisions made during IV placement and monitoring, such as:
- Inserting the catheter at the wrong depth or angle, causing it to miss the vein or pass through it
- Making multiple unsuccessful attempts in the same area can weaken or damage the vein
- Using a catheter that is too large for the patient’s vein
- Setting the flow rate too high, increasing pressure on the vein
- Placing the IV in an area prone to movement without taking extra precautions
- Failing to explain how normal movement could cause the IV to shift
- Not checking the IV site regularly for early warning signs
Complications Our Fort Lauderdale IV Infiltration Attorneys Can Help You With
IV infiltration is a recognized risk of IV therapy, but that doesn’t make its consequences any less serious. When fluids or medication miss the vein and leak into surrounding tissue, the body is exposed to substances it was never meant to absorb that way. At the same time, the patient may not receive the medication or fluids that their treatment depends on.
The resulting injuries can range from painful to life-altering, especially when the infiltration is not caught right away. Documented complications include:
- Tissue necrosis, where skin and soft tissue begin to die
- Blistering, ulceration, and open wounds at the IV site
- Serious infections, sometimes spreading beyond the original injury
- Air embolism, a rare but dangerous condition involving air entering the bloodstream
- Severe chemical burns, particularly when strong medications are involved
- Permanent nerve damage, leading to numbness, weakness, or chronic pain
- Loss of function or reduced use of the affected arm, hand, or leg
- Amputation in extreme cases where tissue damage cannot be repaired
- Lasting scarring or disfigurement, even after treatment
These injuries are especially troubling because they often develop from something that begins as a routine IV placement. Early signs, such as swelling, discoloration, or pain, are frequently visible and should trigger immediate action.
Who Can a Fort Lauderdale IV Infiltration Lawyer Hold Responsible?
When an IV goes wrong, it is rarely just "bad luck." Most cases of severe injury happen because someone in the medical chain of command failed to do their job. In a Fort Lauderdale IV infiltration lawsuit, we look at every person and entity involved in your care to find out who is at fault.
Those who can be held responsible include:
- Nurses and Medical Technicians: Nurses are usually the ones who start and check on IVs. If they put the needle in the wrong spot or, more importantly, fail to check the site every hour as required by hospital rules, they can be held liable for the damage.
- Hospitals and Medical Facilities: Under Fort Lauderdale law, a hospital is often responsible for the mistakes of its employees (a rule called "vicarious liability"). Additionally, the hospital itself may be at fault if it was understaffed, failed to train its nurses properly on IV safety, or used broken equipment.
- Attending Physicians: If a doctor orders a medication known to be dangerous if it leaks (like certain chemotherapy drugs) but fails to give the staff specific instructions on how to monitor the patient, they may share the blame.
- Pharmaceutical Companies and Device Manufacturers: In some rare cases, the IV pump or the catheter itself might be defective. If the equipment fails even when used correctly, we may look at a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
According to a study by Martindale-Nolo, people who hired a lawyer received an average of $77,600 in compensation, nearly $60,000 more than the $17,600 average for those who handled their own claims. At Osborne, Francis & Pettis, we know that hospitals have teams of lawyers working to minimize what they pay you. You deserve a team that fights just as hard to maximize your recovery.
The experience of your attorney is often one of the most important factors in the outcome of your claim. Don't settle for a fraction of what your injury is worth when you could have a firm with a record of multi-million dollar results in your corner. Reach out to our team today online or by calling (561) 293-2600.
What to Do If You Suspect IV Infiltration?
If you or a loved one is in the hospital and notices pain at the IV site, you must act quickly. Follow these steps to protect your health and your legal rights:
- Alert the Nurse Immediately: Tell the staff you feel burning, stinging, or see swelling. Do not wait.
- Ask for an Assessment: Request that a doctor or supervisor look at the site.
- Take Photos: If possible, use a phone to take clear pictures of the swelling, redness, or blisters.
- Request Records: Ask for a copy of the "incident report" or the nursing notes regarding the IV issue.
- Consult a Fort Lauderdale IV Infiltration Lawyer: Before signing any papers from the hospital’s insurance company, talk to a legal professional to see if medical negligence occurred.
How Much Can I Recover in a Fort Lauderdale IV Infiltration Settlement?
After IV infiltration, many patients leave with new medical problems, missed paychecks, and lasting limitations. A Fort Lauderdale IV infiltration lawsuit is meant to address those losses and push hospitals and medical providers to answer for preventable mistakes.
Depending on the facts of the case, damages may include:
- Past and Future Medical Care: IV infiltration can lead to burns, tissue damage, infections, or nerve injuries that require additional treatment. This may include wound care, skin grafts, corrective surgery, physical therapy, or long-term follow-up care that would never have been needed otherwise.
- Income You Couldn’t Earn: If the injury kept you out of work, temporarily or permanently, you may seek recovery for missed wages and reduced earning ability. This applies whether you missed a few weeks or were forced to change jobs altogether.
- Pain and Suffering: IV infiltration injuries are often painful and disruptive. Some patients deal with ongoing discomfort, loss of mobility, or sensitivity that affects everyday tasks. Florida law allows recovery for these non-economic losses, subject to specific limits.
- Permanent Injury or Loss of Function: In severe cases, IV infiltration can cause lasting nerve damage, loss of movement, or disfigurement. When an injury permanently changes how your body functions, the value of the claim increases significantly.
In Fort Lauderdale and throughout Florida, medical negligence cases involving hospitals or other non-practitioner providers are subject to caps on non-economic damages. In most cases, these damages are limited to $750,000 per claimant. If the negligence results in death or a permanent vegetative state, the cap may increase to up to $1.5 million, depending on the circumstances. These limits make it especially important to present a clear, well-documented case from the start.
Filing a Fort Lauderdale IV Infiltration Lawsuit
Patients and families in Florida often have grounds for a Fort Lauderdale IV infiltration lawsuit when a hospital fails to follow safety rules. Healthcare providers should be able to spot and treat this issue before it causes permanent harm.
Common reasons for a legal claim include:
- Improper IV administration
- Failure to monitor the IV site every hour (as required by many hospital policies)
- Failure to diagnose the leak quickly
- Failure to treat the injury with the right medicine or surgery
At Osborne, Francis & Pettis, we investigate these cases by looking at nursing logs and hospital safety records. We work to show that your injury was preventable and that the staff failed to meet the standard of care.
Proudly Representing Fort Lauderdale Residents
.avif)
