Five recalls covering intravenous fluids used in hospitals across the country were issued by two manufacturers over a 10-day stretch in August 2026. The contaminants included fiberglass, stainless steel, rust, cotton fibers, wood fibers, and plastic, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Baxter International announced three of the recalls on August 25. B. Braun Medical announced one on August 27. Both companies told regulators they had not received any reports of patient harm related to the recalled products, according to Healthline, which reviewed the recall announcements.
Baxter distributed its recalled saline to 14 states over four days, from July 31 to August 3, 2026. The recalled fluids went to healthcare providers, hospitals, and distributors. One of Baxter's recalls involved a single lot of 70 percent dextrose injection, a solution used to provide nutrition and fluids to patients through an IV. Stainless steel particles in that solution triggered the recall. A second Baxter recall covered a lot of Excel Lactated Ringer's injection, a fluid used for hydration and electrolyte replacement. Particles identified as cellulose cotton fiber, cellulose wood fiber, and polystyrene were found in that lot. A third Baxter recall involved anticoagulant sodium citrate solution, which is used in equipment that collects plasma and platelets from blood donors and is not intended to be injected directly into a vein. A single lot went to one customer and may have contained fiberglass.
B. Braun distributed its recalled saline nationwide to hospitals and healthcare facilities from February 27 to August 3, 2026. The company first identified the particles in its product as zinc oxide, then corrected that identification to iron oxide, a form of rust, on August 28, according to an update posted to the FDA's website.
Robert Glatter, an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and an emergency physician at Northwell Health, said the recalls should not be interpreted as a broad warning against saline itself. "The recent recalls concern the manufacturing quality of particular lots — not the basic safety of saline itself," Glatter said.
He described saline as a fundamental part of hospital care. "The broader message is not that saline has suddenly become dangerous. Normal saline remains a fundamental component of hospital care. These recalls instead highlight why sterile manufacturing, visual inspection, lot tracking and rapid removal of potentially contaminated IV products are essential patient-safety safeguards," Glatter told Healthline.
A Baxter spokesperson told Healthline the company identified the issue and initiated the recalls. The recalled products were directed at healthcare facilities, meaning patients receiving intravenous treatment in hospital settings could potentially be affected by the removal of those lots from circulation.
