IV fluid supply crunch forces hospitals to postpone elective surgery
A limited supply of IV fluid, stemming from damage caused by Hurricane Helene, is forcing some hospitals across the U.S. to postpone non-emergency procedures.
A limited supply of IV fluid, stemming from damage caused by Hurricane Helene, is forcing some hospitals across the U.S. to postpone elective surgery and other nonemergency procedures to safeguard their stock.
Catastrophic flooding from Helene struck a facility owned by the country’s largest IV fluid manufacturer, Baxter International, in North Carolina, leading to its temporary closure and reducing shipments to hospitals.
Adding to the anxiety, B. Braun Medical, the country’s second-largest maker of IV fluids, announced Tuesday that it would temporarily close two of its facilities in Daytona Beach, Florida, in anticipation of Hurricane Milton’s making landfall.
The Minnesota Hospital Association, which represents more than 140 hospitals and health systems across the state, has been holding daily calls since last week with hundreds of health care providers who are anxious about the limited supply and the timeline for when Baxter’s North Carolina facility will be back online, according to a spokesperson.
Getty ImagesThe UVA Health University Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, is postponing some elective surgery Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to help conserve its supply of IV fluids, spokesperson Eric Swensen said.
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