Extravasation of medication during intravenous therapy is an adverse event related to therapy that, depending on the medication, amount of exposure, and location, can potentially cause serious injury and permanent harm, such as tissue necrosis. This is a complication of intravenous drug use
Some background info:
Skin infections in IV drug users
Skin and soft tissue bacterial infections are a common complication of intravenous drug use. This high rate is due to:
Injection of drugs into the fatty layer under the skin (skin popping)
Leakage of drugs out of veins during the injection (extravasation)
Tissue death (necrosis) due to toxic materials in drugs
Increased numbers of bacteria on the skin surface.
Complications of infusions are the 999 codes. I would say 999.82 if it is a vesicant agent that caused this or 999.88
The most severe type of IV Infiltration usually occurs when highly caustic medications known as vesicants infiltrate the tissues surrounding the IV site causing burns and tissue necrosis, a process called IV Extravasation.
