Why the heck is it so hard to find something as mundane as an IV bag

[ufcrusher]

I am going nuts. For the past few week I have periodically been trying to find where I can purchase a new unused empty IV bag without the needle. These things have an opening at the top where you can put in your solutions and then the no-kink tubing with dose meter at the bottom. Something real simple that one should be able to get anywhere. One of my local fish stores used to sell them for a few bucks as its used to dose aquariums.


First, I did tons of online searches for medical supplies, IV bags, dosing equipment, etc. Didnt come up with any empty bags, just ones with liquid in them.

Secondly, I called the hospital pharmacy which tells me that they dont handle this the doctors/surgeons/nurses do it and provide them as needed to the pharmacy department. (Seems backwards to me, but whatever.)

Third, I called a few local pharmacies which all told me to try medical supply stores. (No duh...see step 1)

Fourth, I called local medical supply stores where each one told me to try hospital pharmacies or another bigger medical supply store that they dont know the name of.

So here I am, still trying to buy 1...maybe 2 empty IV bags and I cant find anywhere to buy them. I never had this problem on the east coast.

Does anyone have any idea where to get an empty unused IV bag with no needle?

[hapoo]

could you just get one with a needle and rip it off?
In either case, it must be important if your posting about it THIS late!

[welfareloser]

ebay.

it's hard to buy them because they get misused. fetishes. torture dungeons. etc. have any med student friends?

[bachviet]

I don't think there's a company out there making empty IV bag. There are empty IV glass containers but not bags.

[BrewMaster]

I don't think there's a company out there making empty IV bag.

well, they make them, they just don't sell them to consumers. rather they sell them in large quantities to medical houses that fill them with the appropriate fluids.

[molecularfire]

Just buy one with IV fluid in them and drain the fluid. Should be able to buy those pretty cheap. They have them set up now so that you don't even need a needle to empty them.

[ufcrusher]

ebay.

it's hard to buy them because they get misused. fetishes. torture dungeons. etc. have any med student friends?

Um......no all my friends who went to med school are full fledged doctors at this point. So is my father (retired)....my uncle....my cousin and other family members. But each and every one of them is on the east coast and I am stuck out here in this hell hole called San Diego. Why did I have to marry a born and bred left coaster.

I am trying to find one without bothering them as finding an unused IV bag would seem to be a waste of their time. Sort of like them asking me to do easy legal research that they could do themselves would be a waste of my time.

As for just emptying the other type of bag, it needs to be 1000% free of any medicines or unknown liquids. I would rather buy an unused one.

[DarkFury]

Um......no all my friends who went to med school are full fledged doctors at this point. So is my father (retired)....my uncle....my cousin and other family members. But each and every one of them is on the east coast and I am stuck out here in this hell hole called San Diego. Why did I have to marry a born and bred left coaster.

I am trying to find one without bothering them as finding an unused IV bag would seem to be a waste of their time. Sort of like them asking me to do easy legal research that they could do themselves would be a waste of my time.

If they REALLY were your friend... they'd help you out on that small favor. That's the difference of "friends" and "folks you know"

[Houdini]

Um......no all my friends who went to med school are full fledged doctors at this point. So is my father (retired)....my uncle....my cousin and other family members. But each and every one of them is on the east coast and I am stuck out here in this hell hole called San Diego. Why did I have to marry a born and bred left coaster.

I am trying to find one without bothering them as finding an unused IV bag would seem to be a waste of their time. Sort of like them asking me to do easy legal research that they could do themselves would be a waste of my time.

As for just emptying the other type of bag, it needs to be 1000% free of any medicines or unknown liquids. I would rather buy an unused one.

Most bags just have saline in them, or salt water - no medicine. It seems like you could rinse them a couple of times with fresh water and have a very clean bag. Why do you need it? If it's for use in an aquarium, rinsing it should be sufficient.

[doolittle]

I am also looking for some IV bags, i plan on teaching a gem carving class this summer and need them for a water drip system to keep the tools cool, ive made my own before using a plumbing valve and a plastic container,(small octag fishtanks work well) but they arent all that easy to put together, and iv bags are easy. yes IV bags are hard to find and if you ask someone at the hospital they will look at you funny and say no and throw them away anyways im working on the same thing and have some medical contacts working on it. if i find a bunch of them, ill hook you up with the contact.

[oblongmelon]

I am also looking for some IV bags, i plan on teaching a gem carving class this summer and need them for a water drip system to keep the tools cool, ive made my own before using a plumbing valve and a plastic container,(small octag fishtanks work well) but they arent all that easy to put together, and iv bags are easy. yes IV bags are hard to find and if you ask someone at the hospital they will look at you funny and say no and throw them away anyways im working on the same thing and have some medical contacts working on it. if i find a bunch of them, ill hook you up with the contact.

fyi...the needles arent attached to the bags-they are separate...cant you just buy an enema bag at the drug store and rig up a release valve on it? or better yet-a camping supply store-they sell those portable shower bags..all you need is a length of tubing and a regulator clamp for it...

[doolittle]

fyi...the needles arent attached to the bags-they are separate...cant you just buy an enema bag at the drug store and rig up a release valve on it? or better yet-a camping supply store-they sell those portable shower bags..all you need is a length of tubing and a regulator clamp for it...

hey good idea thanx i guess the question will be, what do i do with 10 enema's. heh. someone else was teling me they are about the same as an IV bag, i guess ive never seen 1, ill check it out tomarrow and if it works out, i could give UFcrusher the one i took from the hospital on my last trip. cool !!!

[BigJon]

Just make sure the enima bag has a price on it when you buy it at the store. The last thing you need is to be in line and have a pimply-faced register clerk calling "PRICE CHECK ON ENIMA BAGS!" over the intercom for all to hear....

Better yet, ask them if they will wrap it in a brown paper bag before you leave...

[speedracer120]

I'm sure I've mentioned this many times before, but that's not as bad as being the clerk scanning some enema's, a tube of KY, and some condoms for a very old and wrinkled and dirty and did I mention OLD man. Very very very disturbing.

Back to the topic, maybe the Red Cross could help you out, I'm sure they're the biggest customer for unused sterile IV bags. Heck maybe they have some overstock that they can't use anymore or something.