Oct. 10, 2024 – A transparent bag of fluid hanging next to a hospital bed often doesn't warrant a second glance, but now every bag is taken into account precious.
That's because Hurricane Helene nearly two weeks ago damaged the country's important facility that produces intravenous fluids. The plant is in a small mountain town in western North Carolina, and rain and flooding destroyed some inventory and raw materials. The road to the plant also collapsed, it was said letter Baxter ships to its customers.
The company makes about 60% of all IV fluids utilized in the U.S., and the destruction has resulted in less availability of IV fluids for newborns, surgery, childbirth, chemotherapy, dialysis and more. Up to 1.5 million bags of liquids from the North Carolina plant alone are typically utilized in the United States every day. The company announced this week that children's hospitals will receive 100% of their usual allotments of IV solutions and dietary products. Fulfillment of all customer orders might not be possible until the top of the 12 months.
Some IV fluids are flown to the United States from other countries on an emergency basis. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is working to search out ways to extend supply, including finding other potential sites to supply the fluids and more import options, in line with the American Hospital Association told its members on Wednesday.
Another major IV fluid manufacturer, B. Braun, production interrupted at its Daytona Beach facility when Hurricane Milton targeted much of Florida. The company also moved finished products out of the trail of the storm that made landfall Wednesday evening. Plant operations are scheduled to resume on Friday.
Health systems have proposed sweeping changes in response to the shortage, comparable to encouraging patients to drink Gatorade for hydration. Some medical facilities may manufacture the products themselves and have strict procedures in place to keep up the fluids they have already got, comparable to controlling flow rate, duration and dosage.
UVA Health in Charlottesville, Va. Patients notified that some may expect non-urgent procedures to be postponed and that the shortage may last for several weeks. The message instructed people to still come to the hospital or call 911 as they normally would in an emergency.