[The full article has much more detail . . . and somewhere in there, glass bottles said goodbye]:
. . . in 2014, the situation for Braun changed from providing limited quantities of IV bags to not providing any IV bags.
Baxter and Hospira were able to provide limited supplies for the critical shortage but only for a short period. By mid-February 2014, Baxter and Hospira were rationing shipments of IV bags only to hospitals. . . .
. . . Hospitals and clinics are improvising by treating dehydration using one IV bag of solution for 72 hours instead of the typical 24-hour drip.
In addition, patients are being switched from IV hydration to oral hydration. Critical situations treated in the OR and ICU are also cutting back on IV hydration.
It is clear that hospitals are trying to make do by limiting their IV solutions, but at what point will they run out and face tragedy?
For the chelation clinic, however, IV bags are required and are completely unavailable – will these clinics be forced to shut down operations? . . .
. . . There are some unconfirmed reports that there will be limited IV bag supplies forthcoming in the weeks ahead. However, there are no estimated dates for when the IV manufacturing will return to normal. . . . -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Razzle
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 30398
posted
Well, that explains why my home infusion company keeps giving us different brands of bags of IV hydration for me... Thanks for posting this!
-------------------- -Razzle Lyme IgM IGeneX Pos. 18+++, 23-25+, 30++, 31+, 34++, 39 IND, 83-93 IND; IgG IGeneX Neg. 30+, 39 IND; Mayo/CDC Pos. IgM 23+, 39+; IgG Mayo/CDC Neg. band 41+; Bart. (clinical dx; Fry Labs neg. for all coinfections), sx >30 yrs. Posts: 4166 | From WA | Registered: Feb 2011
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Always glad to help shine even a little flashlight!
Yeah, it's a curious situation. I've not heard of this regarding this shortage, but I'd want to watch them break the seal (or whatever) of the new bag in my presence -
- just to be sure someone's not just refilling them (which would save the environment, of course and is a good idea but would need to be done with special procedures).
I hope these bags are at least recycled back somehow and don't just wind up in a landfill forever and ever. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Razzle
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 30398
posted
Unfortunately, I am unaware of any recycling program for IV bags.
Some hospitals send their medical "trash" to incinerators instead of the landfill, but that has its own set of issues (air-borne emissions, etc.).
-------------------- -Razzle Lyme IgM IGeneX Pos. 18+++, 23-25+, 30++, 31+, 34++, 39 IND, 83-93 IND; IgG IGeneX Neg. 30+, 39 IND; Mayo/CDC Pos. IgM 23+, 39+; IgG Mayo/CDC Neg. band 41+; Bart. (clinical dx; Fry Labs neg. for all coinfections), sx >30 yrs. Posts: 4166 | From WA | Registered: Feb 2011
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poppy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5355
posted
Just one medical shortage after another. When is someone going to figure out this needs to be fixed, and on a broader scale than one drug or the other.
Posts: 2888 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Too bad about glass no longer being used. Cleaned properly and refilled under strict practices, it can be used over again a million times (just as filling a plastic bag that is used only once is filled under strict practices).
And glass does not leech petroleum chemicals and hormone disruptors. That's a concern with plastics, too.
Our throw away society strikes again. Can we not just wash and reuse? Is that really so hard?
Business does not like to pay for labor (to clean the glass bottles), though. They can deduct purchase expenses, though, and just keep buying and buying plastics as long or as fast as the stuff can be made. -
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