In the wake of severe disruptions to IV fluid supply chains, hospitals across the United States are being forced to reschedule elective surgeries and non-emergency procedures. The primary cause of this shortage is the catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, which damaged a major Baxter International facility in North Carolina—one of the country’s largest producers of IV fluids.
Hospitals nationwide are scrambling to manage their remaining supplies of essential IV fluids, such as sodium chloride and dextrose, which are crucial for various medical treatments, including surgeries. To conserve their dwindling stock, hospitals like UVA Health University Medical Center in Virginia have already begun postponing elective surgeries. These postponements are taking place not only at their main center but also in facilities across Culpeper, Haymarket, and Manassas.
In an effort to safeguard their existing supplies, hospitals are taking extreme measures, such as adjusting surgery schedules daily to prioritize urgent cases while deferring non-critical ones. As these delays extend, concerns are rising over the broader implications for patient care.
Baxter International, which controls about 60% of the U.S. IV fluid market, was significantly impacted when Hurricane Helene caused severe flooding, forcing the shutdown of its North Carolina facility. This reduction in IV fluid output left hospitals heavily dependent on other manufacturers, like B. Braun Medical, the second-largest IV fluid producer. Unfortunately, B. Braun Medical was forced to temporarily close two facilities in Florida in preparation for Hurricane Milton’s landfall, further exacerbating the crisis.
The Minnesota Hospital Association has been actively working with healthcare providers across the state, hosting daily calls to discuss strategies for managing the situation. Hospitals are under pressure to determine how long the IV fluid shortage will last and when Baxter’s facility will be operational again.
Elective surgeries, ranging from tumor removals to heart ablation procedures, are among the first to be rescheduled. At Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis, surgical procedures have been canceled or postponed, with staff notifying affected patients and coordinating resources with other health systems.
Amid this crisis, a “gray market” has emerged, with people selling IV fluid bags online. Hospitals, however, are steering clear of these unofficial sources due to safety and quality concerns.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) has called on President Joe Biden to declare a nationwide emergency due to the limited availability of IV fluids. Hospitals are reporting shortages of key IV products, and while no new formal declarations of shortage have been issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the outlook is concerning. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) warned on Wednesday that the closure of Baxter’s facility would likely lead to further supply constraints.
In response, the FDA has allowed compounded versions of the affected IV fluids to be used, while Baxter works to get its North Carolina facility back online. Flooding caused significant infrastructure damage, including damage to bridges leading to the plant, but repairs are reportedly underway.
Baxter has committed to restoring its supply to 90-100% capacity by the end of the year and has already increased allocations of its most in-demand IV fluids to direct customers and distributors. As part of a broader effort, the FDA is temporarily permitting the importation of IV fluids from Baxter’s international plants in Canada, Ireland, China, and the U.K.
Despite these efforts, hospitals remain on high alert. Many medical centers, like Enloe Health in California, have paused elective surgeries and are closely monitoring their IV fluid inventories to ensure they can meet patient needs. Some hospitals are seeking alternative suppliers, while others, like RWJBarnabas Health in New Jersey, have delayed elective procedures indefinitely.
The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium has not yet postponed surgeries but has implemented stringent conservation strategies to safeguard the state’s IV fluid supply during this anticipated shortage.
Hospitals are continuing to manage their IV fluid reserves carefully, but with ongoing uncertainty around when normal production will resume, the situation remains fluid. As the crisis unfolds, health providers are working tirelessly to protect patient care while waiting for the storm to pass—both literally and figuratively.
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