Do not demand intravenous (IV) drips for common colds or uncomplicated fevers, and never receive seasonal IV infusions to "flush" or "clear" blood vessels

Provincial health departments have explicitly designated common colds and uncomplicated viral pharyngitis as conditions where outpatient intravenous infusions are unnecessary. National Health Commission medical experts have repeatedly clarified that seasonal infusions cannot "flush away" or dissolve arterial atherosclerotic plaques, and excess intravenous fluid volume can strain the heart and kidneys, potentially inducing heart failure. Over half of all nationally reported adverse drug events involve injectable medications, with 91% occurring via intravenous infusion.

Zero financial cost; saves money spent on clinic drip fees and hours spent sitting in infusion clinics. The challenge is overcoming the cultural misconception that "an IV drip cures illnesses faster," and breaking habits among seniors who request seasonal preventive infusions.

In 2017, the Guangdong Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission issued directives to primary healthcare facilities mandating reductions in unnecessary intravenous therapy, reiterating the core WHO principle: "Never inject when oral medication is possible; never infuse intravenously when intramuscular injection is possible." Intravenous infusion is clinically restricted to three indications: (1) inability to swallow; (2) severe gastrointestinal malabsorption (persistent vomiting or severe diarrhea); or (3) critical, rapidly progressing illness requiring immediate high systemic serum concentrations. The directive attached an explicit negative catalog of common outpatient conditions where IV infusions are unjustified, headlined by "Upper respiratory tract infections: common cold, viral pharyngitis." Regarding seasonal "blood vessel flushing," the National Health Commission of China held a national press conference on August 6, 2025, where clinical cardiology experts explicitly debunked the myth: "The notion that seasonal intravenous infusions can clear blood vessels and prevent cerebral infarction is completely false." Infusions cannot dislodge or clear atherosclerotic plaques; unindicated fluid loading risks circulatory volume overload, cardiac strain, and acute heart failure. Regarding medication safety, the National Center for ADR Monitoring Annual Report (2024) indicated that injections accounted for 57.2% of all reported adverse drug reactions (oral medications accounted for 33.1%), and within injectables, intravenous infusions accounted for 91.0%.

Rated Grade C because findings derive from regulatory directives and expert consensus rather than randomized non-infusion clinical trials. Genuine medical emergencies (such as severe hypovolemic dehydration, septic shock, or inability to retain fluids) require indicated IV therapy under physician supervision. Demanding unneeded antibiotics for viral colds is also ineffective, detailed in Chapter 34, Rule 7. For dehydration from diarrhea, oral rehydration salts are the first-line standard (Chapter 34, Rule 8). Genuine stroke prevention relies on blood pressure and lipid control through consistent oral maintenance therapy, as detailed in Chapter 1, Rule 7, and Chapter 2, Rule 12. Benefit magnitude is categorized as Low based on financial savings and avoiding infusion site infections or allergic reactions. Primary beneficiaries are yourself and elderly family members.

广东省卫生计生委办公室 (2017). 关于加强基层医疗卫生机构静脉输液管理的通知（粤卫办函〔2017〕332 号）及附件「门、急诊原则上不需要输液治疗的常见病多发病」，广州市从化区人民政府网站转载. https://www.conghua.gov.cn/attachment/7/7361/7361750/7215543.pdf；国家卫生健康委员会 (2025). 国家卫生健康委员会 2025 年 8 月 6 日新闻发布会文字实录. https://www.nhc.gov.cn/xcs/c100122/202508/8458a47948274283ab01c6cc672d8015.shtml；国家药品不良反应监测中心 (2025). 国家药品不良反应监测年度报告（2024 年）. https://www.cdr-adr.org.cn/center_news/202504/t20250407_51076.html