In the hospital they are running out of saliene, also morphine and Dulauid

[demtenjeep]

because I am allergic to morphine I had Dulauid and they had to calculate how much I might need before I could get off the liquid pain meds and back to regular pill meds.


It kind of scary that a trauma center is out of strong pain meds.


I understood the saliene was a result of a shortage in Puerto Rico. I didn't ask if the shortage of the liquid pain meds were also a result of the hurricane.

It is pretty scary to think that major hospitals can be out of life saving drugs.

[Demtexan]

1. Trump care at work.

Damn.

[smirkymonkey]

2. Where are you located? I'm sorry they ran out, but I would think they could get a

loan of necessary supplies from a larger city hospital.

[MissB]

3. I was limited to one IV bag of saline last week

At a major trauma center hospital in Portland Oregon. I wasn’t dying - just really sick. The nurse wanted to hook up a second bag but they said no- shortage. I heard them taking quite clearly about it since I was in a bed in the hall in front of the nurses station (busy night; I was grateful for the bed.)

[smirkymonkey]

6. I'm sorry to hear that. Portland is a pretty large city, I am surprised that they were running low.

I thought you might have been at a rural hospital. I hope you get the care you need and I hope you feel better soon!

[mountain grammy]

20. that is very disturbing.

haven't heard of this happening in Colorado, but of course it's not the kind of news that's reported, unless it happens to a newsperson.

Hope you're feeling better.

[oasis]

4. The GOP aristocracy plan.nt

[pnwmom]

5. The saline bag shortage is caused by the Puerto Rico disaster -- they make the vast majority of

our IV bags. Or they did before the storm.

[C Moon]

7. There's an article here...

https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm592617.htm

[mr_lebowski]

8. They're spelled Dilaudid, And Saline. Not to offend, sorry you're sick ...

It's ridiculous to think we're running low on friggin SALINE, it's literally Table Salt ... dissolved in Sterile Water FFS!

The opioid 'shortage' is probably just bureaucratic opioid-war bullshit TBH. DEA watching supplies like a hawk, even in hospitals and other surgery facilities, CREATING a 'shortage', which is unconscionable.

BTW, are you SURE you're 'allergic' to Morphine? That's actually very uncommon. What happens to you when you have it?

[reflection]

13. I'm not the poster you're responding to, but I've had morphine twice, and each time

the side effects have been the same. It is so weird I almost don't expect you to believe me. However, my dad was also given morphine during a recent surgery - before that, he was the kind of guy who hadn't entered a hospital in decades, much less got cut on. They had to restrain him when he was under, he was thrashing around so badly.

What he described was exactly what I experienced, and it was like this - when I was under, it was like watching a film of the most grotesque horror I could imagine, human limbs being twisted, snapping, body parts being pulled through each other, a weird pulsating gory knot of skin, tendons, bone, going inward, outward, replete with shrieking and agony. I'm not a doctor or anything, but I guess it would be called a hallucination or a psychosis or something? My dad begged me not to let them use morphine again. He was terrified. In any event, after my second round with morphine, which was an identical sequel, I always mark that I am "allergic" to it on the relevant form. Can't deal with that any more. Fortunately, Dilaudid is as pleasant to me as morphine is unpleasant.

The strange part is that I can't find a single soul who has that this experience with morphine, outside of my father.

[Tipperary]

15. I have a problem with morphine too. No idea if it is an allergy per se.

I have vomited every time it was given to me. Hydrocodone and oxycodone make me sick too. When injured, i usually tough it out with Aleve. No fun.

[Mariana]

22. Nausea is a very common side effect.

If you ask your doctor, he or she might recommend or prescribe something to prevent or relieve the nausea. Mine did, but it was a long time ago and I don't remember what it was.

[WillowTree]

17. It isn't actually the saline itself that there's a shortage of, from what I understand.

It's the IV bags that deliver it. The majority of the IV bags used in this Country come from a factory or factories in Puerto Rico that were seriously damaged or destroyed in the hurricane.

[demtenjeep]

29. um yes I am sure. I go into anaphylictic shock

and I will leave it to you to correct the spelling since spell check isn't working obviously

[Norbert]

9. This is so scary

This year's flu epidemic is one of the worst in some time and will probably be on the uptick for at least the next month before it peaks. Naturally there will be an increase in demand for IV bag usage which will make the shortage even worse.

What is it going to take for these idiots to figure out how irresponsible the trump/GOP cabal are; the death of a child or grandchild or other loved ones? But, of course, Puerto Rico is full of brown people so that makes everything AOK.

[mopinko]

10. i volunteer on a hospice unit. the nurses have to toss any unused meds

when someone dies. we use a lot of morphine.
they do this bit of the job shaking their heads, knowing what is coming.

[Ms. Toad]

11. As long as it is individually packaged, they can be donated in many states.

(Although some states exclude controlled substances in their programs)

http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-prescription-drug-return-reuse-and-recycling.aspx

[mopinko]

12. very little is individually packaged.

least of all the morphine, which is often used w a pump.
i get it, but jebuz.

[Ms. Toad]

14. Many don't know it can be donated, at all.

I had medication that was $125/syringe that I was able to donate. (I could get a month's supply of 2 syringes/day for a single copay, or a week's worth. Because it wasn't clear how long I would need to be on the medication, if I got a week's worth, I faced the prospect of up to 4 specialty drug copays v one.

I tried to work a deal with them to pay one copy, but be able to pick up syringes daily for up to a month - no dice. The insurance company (who had to pay full price for either a month or a day, at the same single copay for me) told me to get a months' worth and donate the rest. #pennywisepoundfoolish

[hatrack]

16. Aren't global supply chains for vital medicines and drugs COOL?!?!

[FarCenter]

18. You'd think it would be coming from China and India like the rest of the meds

[BumRushDaShow]

19. They mainly make the active ingredients, not the finished products. nt

[FarCenter]

21. True; the bags probably come from the Far East and are filled in Puerto Rico with water and salt

[BumRushDaShow]

23. Sterile "water and salt".

[FarCenter]

24. Is it fractionally distilled pure water, or just heated in a pressure cooker to kill microorganisms?

In other words, is it pure H20 and NaCl, or does it contain dissolved minerals, other liquid chemicals and dead organic debris?

You can make ordinary tap water sterile by heating in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes.

[hack89]

25. Apparently it is more complex to make then one would think.

So why don’t saline makers just add capacity? The FDA has also been working with the country’s three manufacturers to do this, but as straightforward as it would seem, it’s not so easy to ramp up production of salt water. Jensen, of the FDA, says it’s “complicated” because of the need to ensure the solution is sterile. Baxter notes the manufacturing process is “complex and time-intensive,” and consists of 29 steps—conducted over 10 days—to produce each batch of sterile solution. There are also 350 regulatory checks along the way.

http://fortune.com/2015/02/05/theres-a-national-shortage-of-saline/

[Ilsa]

26. Not supposed to contain any other particles.

No other minerals. And other minerals can affect the fluid balance that is targeted, and can skew or affect blood lab work.

[BumRushDaShow]

27. If packaged as "USP", which most hospitals use, then it needs to comply with the USP monograph

ranges of components.

I don't have access to the USP (which is paid access) but this description describes a regular Saline (NaCl. USP) solution -

https://www.rxlist.com/normal-saline-drug.htm

[dembotoz]

28. appears some other meds too...heard pharmacist telling customer her meds prices went up do the pr

I WAS NOT so close to ease drop, but the patient's voice rose in volume a bit as she discovered she was gonna get screwed due to big pharma....shortage means price goes up....capitalist dream