Drip by Drip: IV Therapy and Its History
You’re sitting back after a strenuous week, relaxed and squared away by your at-home IV experts, Integrated Mobile Health. The IV drip starts. You know you’re fast on your way to finally feeling your best. But maybe, like many others, you start to wonder, “How did this treatment even come about? What’s the backstory?”
Luckily, this is the topic of today’s blog, where we’ll look through the fluid history of IV therapy, Drip by Drip. We’re going to explore the founders behind IV therapies as we know them today and fill in the gaps you’re craving to know more about!
The Evolution of IV Therapy
With as complicated and wondrous as the human body and its mechanisms are, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that very early attempts at intravenous fluid injections had inconsistent results. They hadn’t yet seen the medical advancements and associated benefits of vitamin rich intravenous therapy that we enjoy today. No, as powerful as the treatment and methodology is, it would be some time before we had the luxury and capability of a mobile IV drip services brought directly to your home!
Pre-Modern Era IV
But did you know that medical pioneers as early as the 1600s saw the potential benefit of accessing the body more directly through the bloodstream? Though the experiments and procedures would be considered crude by today’s standards, academics of the time such as Sir Christopher Wren and Dr. Jean Baptiste Denis laid much of the critical groundwork of the processes we enjoy today.
It would take much trial and error, but with time came results. Documented success stories began to arrive as early as the 1800s. Dr. James Bludnell, an obstetrician, performed some of the first known blood transfusions for women experiencing postpartum blood loss.
Shortly after, IV fluid based therapies were effectively used to treat cholera patients by Dr. Thomas Latta, often called the Father of Intravenous Infusion Therapy. Also in the 1800s, malaria patients were famously treated by Italian physician, Guido Baccelli. They both saw the benefits of returning fluids to the body after traumatic illness, and the results spoke for themselves. However, this form of treatment was still a rare occurrence compared to its commonplace status today.
Nurses in the WW2 era applying intravenous therapy to patients.
Wartime Efforts
Two world wars further pushed the advancement in IV therapy technology, likely out of pure necessity. This led to practices we take for granted now, like nurse administration of IV fluids. Prior to the 1940s, only doctors were permitted to start IV fluid therapy of any kind!
Besides the increased medical accessibility with nurses on the front lines of IV treatment, the materials used also played a large role in IV’s continued use and development.
It may come as a surprise to most, but even as late as the 1950s, needles associated with IVs required surgery to place them and were often sharpened by hand. What’s more, these needles were even re-used from patient to patient after use! While sanitization measures were in place, it pales in comparison to single use needles that we use today.
Lastly, the role plastics played in the positive outcomes and cleanliness of IV therapy. Between the addition of disposable plastic catheters and IV bags, by the 1960s, these major additions made IV therapy treatments a common sight in hospitals around America.
Now that IV therapies were seen not only as legitimate, but also clean and relatively easy for medical professionals to incorporate, it was only a matter of time before the treatment modality would see it’s day in the sun for your average person seeking it’s medical benefits.
The Myer's Cocktail
Enter Dr. John Myers of Baltimore, Maryland. His unique educational interests of Electrical Engineering and Medicine combined led him down a path of investigating the role of trace minerals in cellular function. (Think of the minerals acting as the equipment the cells need to do their jobs properly!)
This research ultimately led to his creation of what has been famously coined “The Myer’s Cocktail”, a combination of Vitamins C & B, Magnesium, and Calcium. This particular cocktail is most similar to our Vitamin and Energy Plus IV Drip, which also includes Glutathione and Zinc to further boost your immune system.
These Cocktails were given at first to Dr. Myers patients with chronic conditions to help them combat their continued struggles. But it didn’t take long for its efficacy and practicality to stand out to many everyday people looking to enhance their life. In the 2010’s, “IV Bars” became a more common site in metropolitan areas, introducing the benefits of IV therapy to countless more.
The vitamins in the Myer’s Cocktail.
Modern and Mobile
However, brick and mortar storefronts lacked the level of convenience and personal touch that at home methods could provide. This is all the more true looking at the increased number of people working from home, starting their own business, or just looking to integrate the health benefits of IV therapy on their time.
This shift towards at-home treatments is part of a larger trend in proactive healthcare: where people like you want personalized solutions that fit into their not one-size-fits-all routines. At-home IV therapy not only provides health benefits but also ensures a more intimate and customized experience. The idea is to make healthcare more accessible, flexible, and tailored to individual needs, reflecting the changing preferences of today’s dynamic society.
This is where Integrated Mobile Health comes in: As Houston’s leading mobile intravenous therapy provider, we seek to provide you a health solution centuries in the making from the convenience of your own home! Call us today at 409-753-5679, text us at 832-583-1398, or send us a direct message on your social media platform of choice to get started with your personalized IV treatment plan.
Feel Amazing With A Personalized IV Drip Bag!
Wether you’re at home or in the office, Integrated Mobile Health’s providers comes to you at your convenience and comfort. We’re here to boost your health and wellness by providing the best mobile IV therapy directly to you! Contact to book your first intravenous therapy experience!