What is the primary danger of intra-arterial injection?

The primary danger of intra-arterial injection is intense chemical inflammation. When substances are injected directly into the artery, they can cause direct injury to the vascular lining and surrounding tissue. This is because the chemicals can be highly irritating, resulting in an inflammatory response characterized by pain, swelling, and potentially necrosis of the tissue if adequate blood flow is compromised.

Intra-arterial injections are particularly risky because the substances introduced can quickly spread through the arterial system, leading to more widespread inflammatory responses or even risk of embolism, where blockages can occur distally in other tissues or organs. This makes the management of intra-arterial injections complex and requires careful consideration of the potential risks involved.

Other concerns, such as severe allergic reactions, infection at the injection site, and nerve damage, while possible, are not as directly linked to the primary dangers associated with injecting into an artery. Severe allergic reactions generally pertain to the patient's reaction to a drug rather than the injection route itself. Infection can occur from any type of injection but is not the predominant risk unique to intra-arterial injections. Similarly, nerve damage is more associated with improper technique rather than inherent to the intra-arterial route. Thus, intensely chemical inflammation stands out as