Intravenous means "within a vein." It usually refers to giving medications or fluids (solutions) through a needle or tube inserted into a vein, which allows immediate access to the blood supply.
Reviewed last on: 5/17/2007
Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychiatry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.