AIBU to have been shocked of the selling of IV drips in our shopping centre.

[Trialanderror02]

Hi
bit of background my DD has intestinal failure, and so requires IV nutrition via a central line every day for 14 hours. This has landed us in many tricky dangerous situations over the years. Her IV nutrition bags are for fluids / vitamins / micro elements / metals / glucose. This bags are yellow fluid not usual IV saline bags.
We were shopping yesterday for pyjamas in Westfield’s and I was shocked to discover in a pop up seating area with IV stands and 2 women taking selfies attached to these exact looking IV bags, apparently this is a thing 🙈 I looked at the “ menu “ which literally looked like a cocktail bar menu. You could design you own IV bag by adding certain elements for more money etc.
Am I behind the times to be shocked about this casually being sold in the middle of a shopping centre ?
One of them is called a party drip.

I have known a and e staff with a hangover to do a drip bag in the store room to sort them out when they are hanging. A bit unsavoury for you to see given your daughters condition op.

Somewhat surprised that we evolved with a complex liver that sits there meaning we get less nutrients than we need.

The liver is complex but wonderful. I think what the seller of these vitamins is trying to explain is a phenomenon called ‘first pass metabolism’ whereby drugs taken orally are first metabolised by the liver before being distributed to the body. Some drugs are not effective orally due to being completely broken down in this process (remdesivir for Covid being one example off the top of my head).

I don’t think this is true for vitamins though, the liver stores fat soluble vitamins for times of potential deficiency, too high a dose of some fat soluble vitamins can cause toxicity and liver damage. Water soluble vitamins are excreted in urine, you will essentially be pissing money away if you take too much!

They are not regulated.
There is no medical oversight.
Anyone can offer them regardless of lack of qualifications and experience.
Highly likely the solutions do not conform to U.K. medicines standards.
Huge infection risk.
Significant risk of dangerous electrolyte imbalance.
Significant risks from fluid overload.

www.nhs.uk/news/medical-practice/nice-issues-warning-over-dangerous-iv-drip-use/

It’s not about ‘getting with the times’. These are profiteering charlatans. Don’t do it.

Exactly what CherryPavlova just said! I despise these snake oil salesmen.

I don’t even understand why anyone would get their eyebrows threaded in the middle of the shopping mall for all to see, never mind a drip!

@safariboot I was offended suppose it’s a personal feeling .. we all have those

Captnip500

So know you know they employ nurses and not "Chantelle" with her online course, it's ok. I don't see why it's so hard to believe that a nurse may work in a private job that's not saving lives. They can probably pay better.

And they are for hangovers. That's the idea.

And it's really not so hard to believe that people use medical procedures for aesthetic or non medical purposes, botox, fillers, boob jobs, facelifts, bum implants, nose jobs. Plenty of people have invasive surgery with general anesthetics by choice.

fruitbrewhaha If they are employing healthcare professionals- most don’t - that person is likely to be in breach of their code of conduct. For registered nurses likely to be in breach of 6.1.

If they are using healthcare professionals they are likely to be in breach of the requirements to register where a regulated activity is provided.

It might be worth pointing out ‘nurse’ is not a protected title. Anyone can say they are a nurse or even a trained nurse. Anyone can say they employ qualified nurses.

The protection in the U.K. is for the full title ‘registered nurse’.

@fruitbrewhaha

Captnip500

So know you know they employ nurses and not "Chantelle" with her online course, it's ok. I don't see why it's so hard to believe that a nurse may work in a private job that's not saving lives. They can probably pay better.

And they are for hangovers. That's the idea.

And it's really not so hard to believe that people use medical procedures for aesthetic or non medical purposes, botox, fillers, boob jobs, facelifts, bum implants, nose jobs. Plenty of people have invasive surgery with general anesthetics by choice.

The difference is that cosmetic surgery is heavily regulated in the UK. Any doctor offering cosmetic surgery must be on the specialist register. There is a mandatory requirement for a cooling off period before the procedure is done. The premises must meet safety standards. Anyone using Botox must have it prescribed by a medical practitioner.

The IV charlatans have no such safeguards.

@LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood I think you are missing the 'tone of voice' of the nurse who said this. NHS workers are noted for their black humour, it's how they cope. Of course, they are caring but they have to cope with some awful situations. I personally have no problem with letting drunk teenagers feel the consequences of their actions as long as their health isn't endangered.

Agree with you OP, there is something completely grim about it. I can’t imagine breaking the skin and messing with veins in the middle of a shopping centre is a good idea.

As an aside, does getting iv fluid make you need a wee the same way having a drink does? 🤣

I would seriously be concerned about the quality of the medical practitioners setting up these IVs.

You DO NOT need to be sticking needles into your veins unnecessarily. They'll get unusable. Save them for a medical emergency - where its vital you need good veins for good IV access.

Also - I would want to know what their protocols and equipment are for cases of anaphylaxis.

Having an emergency reaction in the middle if a shopping area (with a dodgy nurse) - isn't ideal.

@fruitbrewhaha

Captnip500

So know you know they employ nurses and not "Chantelle" with her online course, it's ok. I don't see why it's so hard to believe that a nurse may work in a private job that's not saving lives. They can probably pay better.

And they are for hangovers. That's the idea.

And it's really not so hard to believe that people use medical procedures for aesthetic or non medical purposes, botox, fillers, boob jobs, facelifts, bum implants, nose jobs. Plenty of people have invasive surgery with general anesthetics by choice.

Yes, I am perfectly aware that nurses work on cosmetic settings thanks. But....shopping centre, administering a virtually medically useless procedure? I do find that odd. So it’s would be ‘bleeding obviously’ as you suggested, that they were nurses.

As for it not being ‘Chantelle’ I have no idea why you put that in quotation marks, who are you quoting? But you may sound a bit snobby now with that.

The IV charlatans have no such safeguards.

I don’t think that’s true Cherry. As far as I can tell these are unlicensed medicines which can only be prescribed by a doctor. The website certainly makes a big deal of employing registered doctors & nurses.

I’d almost be relieved if it turned out that these were not classes as medicines - then it would be a matter of quacks being quacks, rather than unethical doctors.

@MsPeachh

Agree with you OP, there is something completely grim about it. I can’t imagine breaking the skin and messing with veins in the middle of a shopping centre is a good idea.

As an aside, does getting iv fluid make you need a wee the same way having a drink does? 🤣

Yes!!

They employ remotely from overseas usually.

I’ve seen them offered on holiday and at spas but in Westfield just adds an extra level of ick.

Taking IVs for hangover cures seems almost the norm for my friend who is an a&e dr. One time the bag fell down when he was asleep so he had the next shift hungover and slightly anemic.

I must say when I woke up on oxygen with a drip after a GA I felt absolutely amazing, so I can understand why someone would do this! There must be a knack to getting the fluid - salt balance perfect.

My mother is horrified. She thinks it’s a catch penny and utter nonsense.
She is a retired nurse, they are looking for a nurse and I asked her would she like to apply!

@Splodgetastic iv fluids as in saline are not what they are selling you also need to be careful like they in hospitals with level of potassium and sodium contents. It isn’t a bag of IV saline only they are selling a concept of IV vitamins within in IV fluids
They have diff ones with diff ingredients for what you want for an example
I’ve bag for good hair 🤣
Where this falls short is unless you actually low on these it will apart from the fluid element do nothing for you. Your body will just wee it out.

You wouldn’t even bet this IV fluids in an a&e as in the vitamin and micro Elements. For sure they could put a bag of basic saline but in 6 years I’ve never seen these be on hand even on a ward just saline bags.
These bags would be made up by pharmacy and bought up to the wards when needed.

Firstly OP - kudos to your and your daughter, I was on TPN for a while many years ago and it isn’t an easy ride.

I’m totally shocked by this. 2 questions from me, doesn’t TPN through a peripheral vein not bugged up your veins monumentally or is that only the lipid containing one? I used to blow a vein about every 3 hours when I had it peripherally when waiting for a new central line.

2 is there not a TPN shortage at the moment, should the labs not be prioritising those for whom it is essential to stay alive?!

@WiseUpJanetWeiss

The IV charlatans have no such safeguards.

I don’t think that’s true Cherry. As far as I can tell these are unlicensed medicines which can only be prescribed by a doctor. The website certainly makes a big deal of employing registered doctors & nurses.

I’d almost be relieved if it turned out that these were not classes as medicines - then it would be a matter of quacks being quacks, rather than unethical doctors.

How on earth does that work then? Do they have a Dr or proscribing nurse on site? You can’t tell me they are doing blood tests and analysis before hand on site too! Other wise I don’t see how a this useless fluid could possibly be proscribed. Isn’t it unethical for a medical professional to proscribe something that isn’t medically necessary? My mind is blown!!

@GetAMoveOnTroodon these bags are not made up with the same “ fluid “ as TPN but yes actual TPN you can not put through a canula well you can if they change the floor element to basically what this is saline and then adding the vitamins etc which they use in emergent situation.
However take the actual fluid element out yes the content is the IV bags such as potassium / glucose / sodium / micro elements and vitamins are what they use in our TPN bags and yes if there is a shortage of ingredients this would effect the production of TPN bags.

You are correct there has been a huge issue with a company providing TPN where many children were left without nutrition and had to rely on basic IV fluids for weeks but according to the people above on this thread it’s got nothing to do with people needing it to survive.