A scarcity of IV fluid resulting from Hurricane Helene’s destruction is causing some American hospitals to postpone non-emergency surgeries and other elective treatments in order to preserve their supply.
Huge floods caused by Hurricane Helene damaged a plant in North Carolina that belonged to Baxter International, the nation’s biggest producer of IV fluids, forcing it to temporarily close and cutting back on supplies to hospitals.
The second-largest producer of IV fluids in the US, B. Braun Medical, added to the unease on Tuesday by announcing that it will temporarily close two of its facilities near Daytona Beach, Florida, in case Hurricane Milton makes landfall.
According to a spokesman, the Minnesota Hospital Association, which represents more than 140 hospitals and health systems in the state, has been in daily contact with hundreds of healthcare providers since last week. These providers are concerned about the limited supply and the estimated time of arrival for the restoration of Baxter’s North Carolina facility.
According to spokesman Eric Swensen, the UVA Health University Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, is delaying a few elective surgeries on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in order to preserve its IV fluid supply.
Rescheduled elective surgeries are also being performed at UVA Health’s hospitals in Culpeper, Haymarket, and Manassas, according to Swensen. They will also be checking their schedules every day to see which procedures may be delayed.
Additionally, he stated that because the medical facility is the only level 1 trauma hospital in the region, it has “doubled down” on efforts to reduce IV fluid waste.
How are hospitals maintaining their IV fluid supply?
About 60% of the IV fluid industry in the United States is dominated by Baxter, whose products are utilized by the majority of hospitals to provide medications or water containing electrolytes straight into the bloodstream of its patients.
IV fluids are crucial during surgery because they help patients stay hydrated, control blood pressure, and replace lost fluids like blood. Hospitals may find it difficult to change suppliers due to long-term contracts they have with manufacturers.
A representative for the Minnesota Hospital Association stated that some hospitals are starting to delay non-emergency surgeries in order to conserve supplies. Examples of these procedures include the excision of tumors that don’t need to be treated right away and cardiac ablation treatments for patients with arrhythmias.
According to the spokesman, a “gray market” is beginning to develop as well. People are advertising on Facebook claiming they are selling IV fluid bags, but hospitals aren’t purchasing them. “This is the Wild West, baby.”
A representative for Hennepin Healthcare, located in Minneapolis, Christine Hill, stated that certain surgical operations had to be postponed or canceled. Patients are being informed, she added.
“In order to coordinate efforts and resources as needed during this difficult time, we are also in contact with other health care systems,” she stated.
There have not yet been any fresh shortages announced.
The American Hospital Association, which advocates for five thousand hospitals and health systems, wrote to President Joe Biden on Monday, pleading with him to issue a national emergency declaration due to the scarcity of IV fluids.
There has already been a scarcity of some IV items, such as sterile water, dextrose, and sodium chloride. The Food and Drug Administration stated on Tuesday that there hasn’t been a fresh shortage of IV fluid as a result of the closure of the Baxter plant.
The Department of Health and Human Services stated on Wednesday that there will “likely be further constraints” as a result of the shutdown. It stated that the FDA has approved the use of compounded versions of the medications that are now in low supply.
Baxter is collaborating with the HHS department Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to restore operations at its North Carolina plant.
Bridges leading to the plant were destroyed by Hurricane Helene’s flooding, but repairs to the plant seem to be going well.
By the end of the year, Baxter hopes to be back to “90% to 100% allocation” of “certain IV solution” items, according to an update it put on its website on Wednesday. Additionally, it stated that beginning of Wednesday, it will increase the percentage of its most popular IV fluids that are sent to wholesalers and direct clients, from 10% to 60% and 40% to 60%, respectively.
“Restoring customers to 100% allocation levels as soon as possible remains our goal,” the business stated.
It’s unclear if the temporary port strikes that were suspended last week along the East and Gulf coastlines, stopping goods from entering the US mainland, have improved supplies. There are other Baxter locations, one of which is in Puerto Rico. When asked for more comments, it remained silent.
The business stated in a statement on Wednesday that it used “anticipated timing of inbound products and shipments” as a basis for its supply assessment. The FDA said on Wednesday night that it would be permitting the temporary importation of IV fluids from Baxter facilities located in China, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
According to ASPR spokesman Zachary Dembner, the organization is advising suppliers and manufacturers to assess their inventory and requesting that medical professionals employ conservation measures in order to protect their stockpiles.
Additionally, the organization assisted in securely removing IV supplies from B. Braun Medical’s Daytona Beach facility on Tuesday so they were out of Hurricane Milton’s course, according to Dembner.
The facilities, which were collaborating with ASPR on supplies, shut down on Wednesday morning and are anticipated to reopen for business as usual on Friday, according to a statement from B. Braun Medical spokesman Alli Longenhagen.
A postponement of treatment
Hospitals are keeping a close eye on the issue. Enloe Health, a medical facility located in Chico, California, is keeping a careful eye on its IV fluid inventory, according to a spokeswoman, to make sure there is enough available for patients who require it. The facility is also looking for other vendors.
Elective surgery has been suspended by Enloe Health. Since then, it has restarted “within certain clinical parameters,” according to the spokeswoman.
A representative at RWJBarnabas Health in New Jersey stated that the organization has chosen to postpone a “handful” of elective surgeries, but it is unsure of how long the delays would last.
The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s Shea Siegert stated that although providers were taking precautions to maintain supplies, no surgeries were being delayed.
“ANTHC is employing proactive conservation tactics to guarantee uninterrupted accessibility throughout the state during the projected scarcity,” stated Siegert.
