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

When you or a loved one needs IV fluid, a sterile liquid delivered directly into the bloodstream to rehydrate, restore electrolytes, or deliver medication. Also known as intravenous hydration, it’s one of the most common medical interventions in hospitals, ERs, and even outpatient clinics. But over the past few years, IV fluid shortage has become a real, ongoing problem—not just a temporary glitch. It’s not about running out of water bottles. It’s about critical solutions like normal saline, lactated Ringer’s, and dextrose that hospitals rely on daily. When these aren’t available, treatment delays happen. Surgeries get pushed back. Emergency care gets harder. And patients pay the price.

This isn’t random. The IV supply chain, the complex network of manufacturers, distributors, and regulatory checks that keep IV fluids flowing. Also known as IV solution logistics, it’s been fragile for years. Most IV fluids in the U.S. are made by just a handful of companies, and many of them operate overseas. When one factory shuts down for inspections, or a hurricane hits a production site, or a company gets hit with an FDA warning, the whole system stumbles. The 2022 shortage? That started after a major plant in Puerto Rico lost power during a storm. But the damage lasted for over a year. Even now, some hospitals ration fluids. Nurses are told to use less. Doctors have to choose between giving a patient fluids or holding off until more arrives.

And it’s not just about hydration. IV therapy, the broader use of intravenous solutions to deliver antibiotics, chemotherapy, pain meds, and nutrients. Also known as parenteral therapy, it’s the backbone of modern care. If you’re on antibiotics for a serious infection, or getting chemo, or recovering from surgery, IV fluids are often the carrier. No fluid? No delivery. That means delays in treatment, higher risk of complications, and sometimes, worse outcomes. Patients with kidney issues, severe dehydration from vomiting or diarrhea, or those in labor often depend on these fluids. When they’re gone, care gets compromised.

There are alternatives—like oral rehydration for mild cases, or adjusting dosing schedules—but they don’t work for everyone. Kids, elderly patients, or those with bowel obstructions can’t always take fluids by mouth. And you can’t replace a 1-liter bag of saline with a glass of water. The system needs more manufacturers, better stockpiling, and smarter distribution. Until then, the IV fluid shortage remains a quiet crisis—one that affects millions, even if you don’t hear about it on the news.

Below, you’ll find real-world insights from doctors, pharmacists, and patients on how this shortage is playing out in clinics, what alternatives are being used, and how to spot when care might be at risk. These aren’t theory pieces. They’re reports from the front lines.