Investigating the Hydrodynamics of Intravenous Drug Infusions

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Infusion site reactions are common adverse events during intravenous (IV) therapy.
• The precise mechanisms linking drug infusion and these reactions, such as redness, pain, or thrombophlebitis, remain poorly understood.
• Accurate characterization of the infusion site's hemodynamic environment is crucial for developing safer IV formulations and preventing complications like precipitation or phlebitis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To simulate and analyze the flow and mixing characteristics of IV infusions within the bloodstream.
• To investigate the influence of infusion parameters on the hemodynamic environment at the infusion site.
• To provide insights into the causes of infusion site reactions.

Main Methods:

• Employed Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) turbulence modeling within a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) framework.
• Developed a novel simulation incorporating a realistic non-Newtonian blood model for transient flow fields.
• Validated simulation outputs against benchtop experiments using blood analogues and water across various flow rates.

Main Results:

• The CFD model accurately replicated observed flow and mixing patterns from benchtop tests.
• Demonstrated the ability to simulate transient flow fields for IV infusions.
• Showcased the impact of varying fluid rheology, needle orientation, and position on mixing regimes.

Conclusions:

• LES CFD simulations offer a powerful tool for understanding IV infusion hemodynamics.
• This study provides the first transient flow field analysis of IV infusions using LES CFD with a non-Newtonian blood model.
• The findings highlight the importance of infusion parameters in determining mixing and potential adverse events, guiding future formulation development.