I am interested in what you all are doing to un-crystalize your mannitol vials and IV bags. We have used the water bath method but that takes time, the bag you put them in leaks and then the labels get wet and peel off, also it seems like the vials are recrystalized in a weeks time, and no one wants to take responsibility for doing it. Thanks in advance for you input.

Name of Facility: Good Samaritan Hospital

City, State: Hospital, Acute care

Years as a Buyer: 30yrs

We use a "Mannitol Warmer". It is a metal box that has a 15 watt light bulb in it . We keep at all times 2 vials and 2 premixed bags in the warmer. I have no idea where it came from. I know it has been here for at least 18 years.

Name of Facility: wishard hospital

City, State: level 1 trauma center ,teaching hospital

Years as a Buyer: 9

we purchased an industrial warmer with a temp gauge in teh bottom from Cole Parmer. I guess by having that gauge say 40 at all time we can convice that it is warm enough to keep mannitol from cyrstalizing. I think you can access more info under their website. Look for incubator.

Name of Facility: Bloomington Hospital

Years as a Buyer: 2+

We've always had a styrofoam cooler with a 40-watt light bulb that we kept with a few Mannitol. Like Jackie, it was there when I first started work a hundred years ago. It's probably still there now. You can pick up the cooler at any grocery or department store and the "lamp fixin's" you can get at any harware store. The whole thing takes about five minutes to make.

Name of Facility: Pharmacy Purchasing Outlook

City, State: Newsletter

This is the second time this subject has come up for me in the last few days. The buyer at Bloomington Hospital in Indiana asked the same thing. They, too, are using a light box and JCAHO told them that was inadequate.
We used to do the submersion in warm water, but quite a few years ago bought a hot plate/stirrer and that works really well for the vials. We can put about 9 vials on the heating surface and let them sit for a few hours. I've never had anyone tell me about crystalization in the bags!
Bloomington was "encouraged" by JCAHO to buy an incubator (lots of $$$). Haven't heard back to see what their decision is.

Name of Facility: PORTER

City, State: acute care

Years as a Buyer: 9+

blanket warmer

Name of Facility: hinsdale hospital

City, State: 300 bed hospital

Years as a Buyer: 7

We bought an egg incubator from Tractor Supply (yee-haw) and we keep it at a steady temperature and it keeps it from crystallizing, it's become our "bin" for Mannitol and we keep 2-3 bags in there as well.

We keep it about 2 degrees below the maximum recommended storage temperature. As long as people aren't in and out of it too much, it does the job and saves the time of having to do the warm water...

City, State: Teaching hospital

Years as a Buyer: 2

We use a Winthrop Pharmaceutical contrast media warmer
We have had it for years, it will keep up to 12 bags
and we can fit 2 cases of mannitol vials in it. Our hospital is in South Dakota so in the winter almost
all of our mannitol is crystalized when we get it.

Name of Facility: Avera McKennan Hospital

City, State: Hospital and University

Years as a Buyer: 15

We send any vials that have crystalizing over to sterile processing and in a very short time they return them good as new. We keep all of our vials in a hot box with the light bulb like others have said and that usually is all it takes. We don't have very many that ever need any attention.

Years as a Buyer: 17 (tech 34)

I appreciate all of your input on the many ways to de-crystalize my mannitol. I finially went to the farm supply store as Colleen suggested and got an egg incubator, thank you Colleen. It works great!!!

Name of Facility: Good Samaritian Hospital

City, State: Hospital, Acute care

Years as a Buyer: 30yrs