A number of hospitals throughout the U.S. are grappling with shortages of IV fluid after flooding from Hurricane Helene pressured medical fluid producers to halt manufacturing. 

Baxter Worldwide, the main provider of IV fluids to hospitals, stated its facility in Marion, North Carolina, stays closed for the foreseeable future. 

“Baxter’s North Cove facility affected by flooding and at present closed for manufacturing as the corporate assesses extent of the influence,” the corporate says in an announcement on its web site.

The corporate, which provides about 60% of the nation’s IV fluid luggage, added that it is working with federal companies to help restoration efforts and “mitigate provide disruption to sufferers.”

IV fluids are administered intravenously to deal with dehydration and are crucial for surgical procedure, throughout which sufferers are asleep for a very long time and unable to eat and drink. 

“Remediation efforts are already underway, and we’ll spare no useful resource — human or monetary — to renew manufacturing and assist guarantee sufferers and suppliers have the merchandise they want,” José (Joe) E. Almeida, chair, president and chief govt officer at Baxter, stated in an announcement. 

Mass Common Brigham is among the many well being care techniques that has not acquired its ordinary provide of IV fluid. Chief preparedness and continuity officer Dr. Paul Biddinger stated throughout a press convention Friday that the hospital community expects to obtain about 40% of what it often will get from Baxter.

Biddinger referred to as the provision constraint “one of many greatest shortages” the hospital community has ever handled. 

Different producers of IV fluids say they’re ramping up manufacturing to assist cowl the scarcity. B. Braun stated none of its manufacturing websites have been affected by the Hurricane Helene, and that it is “taking fast steps to extend manufacturing at our pharmaceutical manufacturing websites in Irvine, California, and Daytona Seaside, Florida, specializing in crucial IV fluids.” 

The corporate as additionally positioned its merchandise on “protecting allocation” and is encouraging suppliers that administer IVs to follow conservation, together with through the use of various hydration strategies, a spokesperson instructed CBS MoneyWatch. 

ICU Medical, one other IV fluid producer, stated it is also taking steps “to extend manufacturing to assist meet market wants whereas persevering with to help our present prospects.”

Hospitals additionally skilled IV fluid shortages in 2017, when Hurricane Maria disrupted manufacturing. 

“Having skilled comparable challenges within the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, we proceed to be conscious of how we handle the provision of those drugs to make sure minimal influence on our sufferers. Hospital operations proceed as regular and affected person care stays unaffected,” Dr. Biddinger of Mass Common Brigham stated in an announcement.