U.S. hospitals hit with shortage of intravenous saline

Yahoo news/Reuters ^ | Jan 28, 2014 | Susan Kelly

[Innovative]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it is working with the three manufacturers of intravenous saline solutions commonly used to hydrate hospital patients to address a shortage caused by a spike in demand.

To cope with the shortage, healthcare providers are using substitute products such as oral hydration fluids or smaller IV saline bags with slower drip rates when appropriate, said Bona Benjamin, director of medication use quality improvement for the American Society of Health System Pharmacists.

"We have heard from our members all over the country that the shortage is serious," Benjamin said. "People are able to cobble together enough of a supply to get by day to day."

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

The FDA’s “Current Drug Shortage Index”. A very useful link to bookmark.

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/DrugShortages/ucm050792.htm

Importantly, this is a very dynamic list and may not list regional or spot shortages.

[tbw2]

Off shore hospital medical ships to provide services.
Americans flocking to Mexican hospitals the way the Canadians have been coming to the US for years.
Go to the spa for “beauty” treatments and get medical care. Like $5000 for a spa week, free knee repair.

[Innovative]

“The FDA’s “Current Drug Shortage Index”. A very useful link to bookmark.

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/DrugShortages/ucm050792.htm

Importantly, this is a very dynamic list and may not list regional or spot shortages.”

Thanks! very useful indeed. Thanks for posting.

[reformedliberal]

There was a version of this black market pharmaceutical gig in the US TV series “Boss”.

The drug dealer had an ill grandfather and was supplying the medications to a free clinic run by the daughter of the Mayor of Chicago, who was dying of Lewy Body Disease. The Mayor ends up buying his own meds thru the dealer to keep his disease out of the papers by bypassing any paper trail.

I wouldn’t doubt it is already happening.

[The Great RJ]

Under Obamacare there will be shortages of clean sheets for hospital beds as well as bed pans. Read in the UK press the horror stories about pregnant women giving birth unattended in hospital hallways, helpless grannies dying of dehydration in NHS hospitals and even patients found by family members in filthy beds where the sheets hadn’t been changed in days. Coming soon to a hospital near you thanks to Obama.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***How can there be a spike in the need for saline...?***

Those greedy suppliers of salt diverted all of the salt to ice road clearing. ;-D

[reed13k]

cold environments with exposure dehydrate - the air is drier and the body is working overtime. The additional temperature drops are likely leading to additional exposure cases which often include saline drips for treatment.