ACCP Position Statement on Hydration and Vitamin Infusion Clinics

Abstract

Recently there has been a proliferation of wellness clinics offering on-site and mobile intravenous (IV) hydration and vitamin infusions, said to promote wellbeing and improved health. Some celebrities tout the benefits of these infusions and companies aggressively advertise their services on internet search engines. 1,2 These companies advertise that hydration and vitamin infusions can be used to boost the immune system, increase energy levels, and treat everything from colds to hangovers, without any supportive data. Typical treatments can cost $300-$600, 3 but are as low as $100 for hydration. Although not a new phenomenon, the numbers can be quite staggering. For example, 172 attendees at the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Annual Meeting reported that in the 2-year period between 2006 and 2008, 11,233 and 8876 patients, respectively, were administered vitamin C infusions, with the mean number of infusions per patient being 19-24, and with a mean dose of 28 g; it was estimated that patients received approximately 318,539 and 354,647 dosing units of vitamin C per year! 4 Since this report was published 13 years ago, those numbers have only increased. Additionally, the number of IV hydration clinics is not tracked at the federal or state level, and no statistics are available on their use.