[Incompatibilities in intravenous therapy: What can be done to prevent them?]

In hospitals, the administration of drugs intravenous is very common and essential in cases where there is a need for rapid onset of pharmacological effect or another administration route cannot be used. The intravenous route may entail risks, such as the incompatibility between the drugs administered. Incompatibility is any unwanted physicochemical reaction that occurs when two or more drugs are mixed and where the resulting product can affect the efficacy and safety of therapy. This phenomenon is considered a medication error and a basic knowledge of this can help prevent its onset, thus reducing the risks. This article describes the types of incompatibilities, gives examples of some drugs commonly used in intravenous therapy in the management of type "Y" and examine the factors related to the occurrence of this event. We review the information on the theoretical basis that aids understanding of the mechanisms involved in their production. This article describes interventions that nursing staff can take to prevent the incompatibility, and should be incorporated in planning the pharmacological treatment of patient in nursing care. The rapid incorporation of new drugs in the therapeutic regime requires nursing professionals to constantly review and update their knowledge on the incompatibility between the drugs that are under their care. Thus, access to sources of reliable information by the nurse, is a key strategy, which will keep them updated and can prevent the risks associated with the occurrence of this unwanted event.