Evaluation of risk for injury by extravasation of vasopressor and hyperosmolar agents in a rat model

Background: Inadvertent leakage of medications with vesicant properties can cause severe necrosis in tissue. Therefore, according to the severity of skin injury, cytotoxic agents were classified into three categories: vesicants, irritants and non-vesicants, and guidelines were issued. However, severe extravasation injury due to non-cytotoxic agent has been reported more frequently than in cytotoxic agents. The aim of this study is to evaluate the extents of extravasation injury induced by hyperosmolar agents or vasopressors at macroscopic and histopathologic levels in rats.