IV shortfall prompts new conservation practices

Columbia, Md.-based MedStar Health has turned the recent national IV fluid shortage into an opportunity to reduce its reliance on these products, cutting usage by about half of preshortage levels, according to an Jan. 31 ASHP report. 

The health system, which serves Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, has adopted new practices around fluid management, a shift that it plans to continue as part of a broader "fluid stewardship" program.

Bonnie Levin, vice president of pharmacy services at MedStar, said fluid stewardship is now considered a permanent clinical practice alongside resource-management practices like antibiotic and opioid stewardship. 

The decision to reduce IV fluid use acknowledges a growing consensus among clinical leaders that  perioperative fluids had become routinely overused. MedStar's response to the shortage has focused on reimagining fluid use within enhanced recovery after-surgery care pathways, which emphasize evidence-based practices to speed up recovery after surgery. 

Following the IV shortage, MedStar made rapid changes to its system, including revising over 300 order sets and more than 2,500 IV-related order sentences. In many cases, the revised orders favored oral hydration over routine IV fluid use.  

Copyright © 2025 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Articles We Think You'll Like

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars