Infusion

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD) is an inherited condition that causes AAT proteins that protect the lungs and other organs to get trapped in the liver. This increases risks of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. Patients are susceptible to life-threatening lung disease, often developing emphysema between the ages of 40 and 50. This condition is inherited from parents who pass on a faulty AAT gene to their child. The first symptoms occur between the ages of 20-40 while liver complications are often diagnosed in infancy and early childhood. There is no cure for AATD. Not smoking or quitting if you smoke will help delay lung disease.

Augmentation therapy is prescribed in severe AATD cases to slow the decline in lung function. The medication is infused or given through an injection into the vein and can be done safely at home with a nurses’ help. Amber Specialty Pharmacy dispenses A1Pi and provides in home infusion therapy services.

An anti-infective is a general term used to describe any medication capable of inhibiting the spread of an infectious organism by killing the organism outright. The term encompasses antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals. Infusion therapy provided by Amber Specialty Pharmacy provide comprehensive services to fight serious infections for patients of all ages. Along with alternate site-of-care options, home infusion therapy helps patients avoid hospitalization, saving cost and time while being treated from home.

Chemotherapy is often referred to as the "anti-cancer" medication used to kill cancer cells. Continuous infusion chemotherapy is treatment provided to cancer patients through an intravenous catheter or port and is given slowly over a designated period of time at the proper dose and speed. An infusion nurse connects patients to continuous infusion treatment at the site of care best suited for the patient's needs. Safety is always a consideration when administering chemotherapy outside the clinic setting. Carefully selecting patients who are willing to work closely with the nurse, pharmacist and physician in the home environment can be good for patients and providers. Patients have the comfort and safety of being well cared for at home as they receive chemotherapy. This reduces travel time to and from the doctor's office, and overall cost savings for patients, payers and providers can be substantial.

Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder that does not allow blood to clot properly. This can lead to spontaneous bleeding or bleeding that follows an injury or surgery. People with hemophilia have low levels of either factor VIII (8) or factor IX (9), and severity is determined by the amount of factor in the blood. The lower the amount of factor, the more likely bleeding will occur and lead to health problems and serious concern.

The best way to treat hemophilia is to replace the missing blood factor so it can clot properly. This is accomplished by infusing the hemophilia patient with commercially prepared factor concentrate. Today it is possible for hemophilia patients to learn how to give their own clotting factor treatments at home, treating bleeds quicker with less bleeding and fewer side-effects.

Hydration therapy is an infusion treatment that administers electrolyte-packed fluids directly into the patient's bloodstream. Depending on the specific needs of the patient, the fluid may be enhanced with additives such as calcium, magnesium sulfate or vitamin B complex. It is an efficient method of absorption when compared to drinking liquids to restore electrolytes and can quickly replace lost fluid volume during times of illness, restoring health and balance.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is a purified plasma treatment made up of antibodies and given through a vein. Antibodies are proteins your body makes to fight infection. IVIg and subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIg) therapies are used to treat multiple conditions by providing extra antibodies a patient cannot make on their own.

IVIg and SCIg therapies provide important replacements for antibody disorders and protection from infection for immunosuppressed patients. Amber Specialty Pharmacy provides home and site-of-care delivery and administration services associated with the care of IVIg and SCIg therapies.

Immunosuppressive treatment includes a class of drugs that lower the activity of the body's immune system and reduces its ability to fight infection. Immunosuppressive therapy may be used to help prevent an organ transplant patient from rejecting a bone marrow or organ transplant, or to treat autoimmune conditions like lupus, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, and allergies.

Patients with advanced heart failure are treated with intravenous inotropic therapy to help their heart pump more efficiently while they wait for a heart transplant. Home infusion inotropic therapy offers heart failure patients an improved quality of life by receiving this vital care in the comfort of their own home. Medication is infused continuously through an IV inserted into the chest or arm and stored in a backpack, or some other type of mobile pack, to allow mobility.

Everyone needs food to live. When a person cannot eat enough food due to illness, the stomach or bowel may not be working right and proper nutrition must be provided through a feeding tube, which is called enteral nutrition.

Parenteral nutrition is necessary when a person cannot eat or use their gut via tube-feeding. A special liquid mixture enters the bloodstream through an intravenous tube. The mixture provides vitamins, sugars, fats and other nutrients necessary for the patient.

Intradialytic parenteral nutrition (IDPN) is a form of nutritional support for dialysis patients who have a difficult time maintaining adequate nutrition. It is administered directly into the bloodstream of patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. IDPN contains amino acids, dextrose and fats, and attempts to help the patient meet their nutritional needs.

Infusion therapy is a treatment option for a variety of pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain and phantom limb pain, neuralgia, diabetic neuropathy and central pain related to a stroke or spinal cord injury. A variety of different pain medications can be used through infusions. The overall goal of pain management therapy is to monitor and significantly decrease the patient's pain level and increase function over the long term.

Palliative care focuses on providing relief for patients dealing with the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness. The aim is to improve the quality of life for a person with a serious illness. Intravenous treatment can be safely provided at home, where patients and caregivers are most comfortable.

Home infusion care helps enhance outcomes for patients needing intravenous therapies before and after receiving a transplant. There are several reasons transplant patients need IV therapy before and/or after transplantation:

• Anti-infective treatments
• Hydration or electrolyte replacement
• Inotropic therapy
• Immunoglobulins (IVIg and SCIg)
• Home parenteral nutrition

Home infusion services minimize exposure and health-safety concerns that are so prevalent in today's healthcare. Our nurses and pharmacists are highly skilled in drug and disease-state monitoring and education. Their depth of knowledge is a key service differentiator in our infusion therapy program.