US hospitals face IV shortage as new hurricane threats loom

Lauren Taylor

AS ANOTHER HURRICANE BARRELS TOWARD THE UNITED STATES’ GULF COAST… HOSPITALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE DEALING WITH A SHORTAGE OF I-V FLUID – AFTER HURRICANE HELENE FORCED MANUFACTURERS TO HALT PRODUCTION.

THE LEADING SUPPLIER OF I-V FLUIDS IN THE U-S – BAXTER INTERNATIONAL – SAYS ITS FACILITY IN NORTH CAROLINA WILL REMAINED CLOSED FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE AFTER IT FLOODED DURING THE STORM.

THE COMPANY SUPPLIES ABOUT 60 PERCENT OF I-V FLUID BAGS IN THE U-S.

I-V FLUIDS TREAT DEHYDRATION AND ARE A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF SURGERY – WHEN PATIENTS ARE ASLEEP FOR A LONG TIME AND AREN’T ABLE TO EAT OR DRINK.

BECAUSE OF HURRICANE HELENE… BAXTER HAS PLACED LIMITS ON HOW MANY I-V BAGS HOSPITALS CAN BUY AT ONE TIME.

THERE *ARE* OTHER FLUID MANUFACTURERS IN THE U-S – BUT THEY TEND TO GIVE PRIORITY TO MEETING THE DEMAND FROM THEIR EXISTING CUSTOMERS, ONE BOSTON DOCTOR TOLD THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

THE U-S ALSO CAN’T COUNT ON EUROPEAN MANUFACTURERS TO FILL THE GAP BECAUSE THERE’S A GLOBAL SHORTAGE OF I-V FLUIDS RIGHT NOW, AS WELL.

BAXTER SAYS IT’S WORKING WITH HEALTH, EMERGENCY, AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO GET BACK UP AND RUNNING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.