Intravenous hydration

[claudiarivas]

Hello hope all of you are doing well.
I case a person with HFI is hospitalized and needs to hydrate via IV . What are the indications that should be given to the doctor ( please note I live in a third world country where they do not know what HFI is, and most of the time they think I am lying or saying it wrong 😵‍💫)

Please tell me if anyone has ever had an IV .

[ukbill]

OK Saline is safe. so hydration is not an issue. Nil by mouth food packs will be a different case however should things get that bad.
Glucose (pure dextrose) in a saline drip is fine.
Most IV fluids these days should not contain Sorbitol. However be aware that some might well contain high levels of sorbitol and can prove lethal.

So ensure the doctors read every single label and check in the poisons book ( a book that lists every single ingredient, active or not, in the medicine) or with the manufacturer that the IV fluid contains no Sorbitol or Fructose, if no poisons book or equivalent exists where you live. in the 1st world there should be no Sorbitol in medicines.. however in other cultures the message might not have got through or (more likely) they do not believe HFI exists.. as in Belgium a few years back.
There is also another reason Sorbitol might still be in 3rd world medicine, that is in the storage of medicines. Sorbitol extends the life of an IV fluid much longer than any other form so far used. It also allows for less strict storage requirements.
So if living or staying in any out of the main drag of countries and in particular the hotter areas of the world take good care! Always carry a folder with in the local language (if possible) instructions on how to care for an HFI person.
i.e. no sucrose drips or sorbitol / Fructose.

I hope this helps.

[claudiarivas]

Thabk you so much bill for your reply