As another hurricane barrels toward the United States’ Gulf Coast, hospitals across the country are dealing with a shortage of IV fluid caused by the last one. Hurricane Helene forced manufacturers to halt production.
The leading supplier of IV fluids in the U.S., Baxter International, said its facility in North Carolina will remain closed for the foreseeable future after it flooded during the storm. The company supplies about 60% of IV fluid bags in the U.S.
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IV fluids treat dehydration and are a critical component of surgery – when patients are asleep for a long time and can’t eat or drink.
Because of Hurricane Helene, Baxter has placed limits on how many IV 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 IV fluids right now, as well. Baxter said it’s working with health, emergency, and government officials to get back up and running as soon as possible.
