Abstract

Many hospitals are currently having difficulties in obtaining adequate supplies of i. v. fluids. Staff shortages and increased demand for special sterile bottled solutions for other purposes, for example in operating theatres, for peritoneal dialysis and for haemodialysis, have compelled many hospital pharmacy departments to reduce their output of i. v. fluids. Commercial production of i.v. fluids has not kept pace with the rapidly increasing demand. The quality of i.v. fluids varies considerably:¹ pharmacopoeial standards are often not stringently applied, and some of them need revision.