IV Fluid Shortage: What’s Happening and How It Affects Your Care

When hospitals run low on IV fluids, sterile liquids given directly into the bloodstream to hydrate patients, deliver meds, or maintain blood pressure. Also known as intravenous solutions, they’re one of the most common medical interventions—used in emergencies, surgeries, and chronic care. But since 2022, the U.S. and other countries have faced repeated IV fluid shortages, leaving doctors scrambling to stretch supplies and patients waiting longer for basic care. This isn’t a glitch—it’s a systemic problem tied to manufacturing, supply chains, and rising demand.

The main culprits? A handful of factories producing over 90% of the nation’s saline and dextrose solutions. When one plant shuts down for inspection, contamination, or natural disaster, the whole system feels it. In 2023, a major supplier recalled batches due to particulate contamination, triggering a nationwide dip in availability. Hospitals had to ration saline, a sterile saltwater solution used to restore fluid balance, delay non-urgent procedures, and switch to less ideal alternatives like oral rehydration when possible. Even something as simple as flushing a catheter became a calculated decision. The hospital supply chain, the network of manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies that deliver critical meds and fluids wasn’t built for resilience—it was built for efficiency. And when efficiency breaks, patients pay the price.

What’s being done? The FDA has stepped in with emergency approvals for foreign-made IV solutions, and some pharmacies are compounding their own bags under strict guidelines. But compounding isn’t a long-term fix—it’s slower, more expensive, and not available everywhere. Meanwhile, the IV therapy, the practice of delivering fluids, electrolytes, or drugs directly into veins community is pushing for more manufacturers, better inventory tracking, and diversified sourcing. For now, if you or a loved one are in the hospital, ask: Is this IV necessary? Are there alternatives? Could it wait? These aren’t just questions—they’re tools to help you navigate a system under strain.

Below, you’ll find real patient and provider stories, safety tips for managing care during shortages, and insights into how medication errors can spike when substitutes are used under pressure. This isn’t just about fluids—it’s about how fragile our medical safety nets have become, and what we can do to make them stronger.