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MUSC providers got together to discuss the results and “how surprised we were on how well everyone at the ambulatory surgery centers were doing with a lack of IV fluids,” she said. The restrictions allowed MUSC to continue with its surgeries at a time other health systems were canceling theirs, which was good for both patients and the health system, McCoy said. “It's good for patients that need those surgeries, but also is impactful to the financial outcomes of the hospital system,” she said. The new guidelines led to some rethinking about how they practice, McCoy. “Before, everybody got a liter of IV fluids,” she said. It was how people were trained: “You start an IV, you hang the bag of fluid,” McCoy said. But during the conservation period "everybody just started to get used to not having to hang IV fluids,” she said. “And so it just became standard practice. And I think, once that was ingrained in all the providers that they didn't necessarily have to hang an IV bag of fluids, then it just became standard practice.” The shortage eased as the Baxter plant came back online, but it wasn’t until August that the Food and Drug Administration declared that it was over. But for patients like Orton, those effects linger. Last year, as the supply shut down, she could not get her orders filled, despite urgent pleas with several companies. Orton is managing a number of challenging health problems, from vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome to an autoimmune disorder to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, where even slight movement can drop her blood pressure suddenly and result in fainting. She uses IV fluid known as Lactated Ringer’s Solution to keep those symptoms in check and prevent her health from spiraling downward.
