I made a 9am appt thru class pass When I arrived I was provided iPad to fill out new patient forms. & the receptionist went to the back & was talking to the nurse for about ten mins I finally said something out loud "hi, I'm done with my forms." So then they came out to help (This isn't the part I'm so bothered with but tending to patients might be better than catching up & chit chatting as I could overhear the convo) I went to the room, spoke with the nurse. I chose an add on. She inserted iv I sat in my chair & my 1 liter bag was done in 15 minutes. I was done by 9:30-9:35. 15 minutes?? The iv site felt uncomfortable so I kept rubbing it thinking I was just being sensitive to the fluids. I opened my laptop to start working, thinking I would be there for 30-45 minutes. My left arm was really swollen leaving. Infusing a liter of fluids in 15 minutes is completely unsafe & not good for anyone. I felt tachycardic (higher heart rate) I'm sure my heart was trying to process this influx of fluids they pumped my body with. I understand this place is ran like a factory; they want you to come in & quickly leave but their practices are completely unsafe. Mind you I mentioned to the nurse I have a prior history of heart failure. Though no longer - infusing a liter bag that fast is inappropriate for anyone. Please take caution if you decide to come here though I recommend you not to. Fast infusions could cause electrolyte imbalance, pulmonary edema, exacerbate symptoms of heart failure, amongst other complications. If I was elderly or had even mildly worse heart failure I would've wanted to go to urgent care cuz I wasn't feeling too great after. _____ Update I called the clinic & spoke to Megan. She was nice, receptive, & offered 15% my next visit of which I politely declined. She notified me that it's standard practice for them to run bags to gravity (though it could vary with new patients). As a fellow nurse practitioner, I'm disappointed that they would comply with their procedure to give infusions that fast. 15 mins-or less than 30 mins for 1 liter is almost negligent. Using personal discretion & critical thinking to appropriately titrate, start slower taking precaution might protect their license & prevent adverse reactions. It's now 7pm My arms & legs are still more swollen than usual. I have sock indentations on my legs (sign of swelling). Though I'm not significantly concerned since I can treat myself with diuretics I have at home & I am a nurse. It's a little counter intuitive that I will have to force my body to pee out the vitamins I paid so much for. But I likely already wasted some of the vitamins I paid for anyway because the reason my left arm was swollen is due to third spacing. When fluids are given that fast, the blood vessels cant tolerate the excess fluids and thus starts seeping into surrounding tissues causing swelling (third spacing). For best efficacy, vitamins should remain in bloodstream & distribute accordingly. What I am concerned about is... there are many other patients who have no medical knowledge who will go home after their iv therapy not feeling well (tho symptoms can range from mild to more severe). They might overlook such symptoms thinking it's normal after getting iv therapy, when it's not. Such symptoms are related to malpractice & negligence. Shame on you guys as a practice. I don't care for 15% off or even a free bag. Do better for patients & their safety.
grace lee · March 2nd, 2026