WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE . . .

...between infusions and transfusions?

BOTH terms describe how a liquid enters the body.

Some medicines can’t be swallowed because they lose effectiveness when they pass through the gut, so are delivered by infusions using either a needle or catheter.

Although infusions tend to be fed straight into a vein, they can enter beneath the skin.

Common infusions include antibiotic and saline drips.

A transfusion, delivered via a needle into a vein, is when a patient is given a donor’s blood due to severe bleeding or conditions such as sickle cell anaemia and some cancers. They can also be used to replace specific components of blood, such as plasma.