Banana bag

A banana bag (or rally pack) is a bag of IV fluids containing vitamins and minerals. The bags typically contain thiamine, folic acid, and magnesium sulfate, and are usually used to correct nutritional deficiencies or chemical imbalances in the human body. The solution has a yellow color, hence the term "banana bag".[1]

Composition

The typical composition of a banana bag is 1 liter of normal saline (sodium chloride 0.9%) with:

  • Thiamine 100 mg
  • Folic acid 1 mg
  • Multivitamin for infusion (MVI), 1 ampule
  • Magnesium sulfate 3 g

The solution is typically infused over four to eight hours or as per physician's orders.

Uses

Banana bags are used in the intensive care unit to correct acute magnesium deficiencies. They are stated to be beneficial for patients with terminal illness because magnesium can mitigate nerve pain and relieve muscle pain and cramps.

Banana bags are often prescribed for alcoholics who need thiamine to prevent Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome. However, most recent evidence points that the amount of thiamine in a banana bag is inadequate for prophylaxis and treatment for ICU patients. The proposed regimen is 200-500mg IV every 8 hours for the first day of admission.[2]

Chronic alcoholics can suffer significant whole-body magnesium deficiencies.[1][3]

See also

References
  1. Jeffrey E Kelsey; D Jeffrey Newport & Charles B Nemeroff (2006). "Alcohol Use Disorders". Principles of Psychopharmacology for Mental Health Professionals. Wiley-Interscience. pp. 196–197. ISBN 978-0-471-79462-2.
  2. Flannery, Alexander; Adkins, David; Cook, Aaron (2016). "Unpeeling the Evidence for the Banana Bag: Evidence-Based Recommendations for the Management of Alcohol-Associated Vitamin and Electrolyte Deficiencies in the ICU". Critical Care Medicine. 44 (8): 1545–1552. doi:10.1097/CCM.0000000000001659. PMID 27002274.
  3. Merle A. Carter & Edward Bernstein (2005). "Acute and Chronic Alcohol Intoxication". In Elizabeth Mitchell & Ron Medzon (eds.). Introduction to Emergency Medicine. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 272. ISBN 978-0-7817-3200-0.


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