Hospitals nationwide struggle with IV fluid shortages after Hurricane Helene disrupts supply chain

By Joe Gorchow

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — The aftermath of recent hurricanes, particularly Hurricane Helene, has extended far beyond the Southeast, with hospitals nationwide grappling with a shortage of IV fluid bags.

The supply chain disruption has led many hospitals to adopt conservation measures, including delaying elective surgeries, as they work to manage limited resources.

CBS News Miami explored how Florida hospitals are dealing with this fallout.

“All with the focus of minimizing any disruption in patient care,” said Mary Mayhew, President and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association.

IV fluids, critical for hydrating patients and delivering medications, are a staple of modern medicine. However, the current shortage of these sterilized water-and-salt solutions is forcing hospitals to find alternative methods.

“Hospitals are adopting national protocols,” Mayhew explained. “For example, you may use oral antibiotics instead of IV medications. There are also measures related to pre-and post-surgery care, all aimed at safely conserving IV fluids while managing the limited supply.”

Mayhew and the Florida Hospital Association are concerned the situation may worsen before improving.

“My concern, and the concern of hospitals, is that the longer this persists if you’re receiving far less than 100% of your typical supply. It may become more problematic over time,” Mayhew said.

Hurricane Helene exacerbated the issue by shutting down a key IV fluid manufacturing plant in North Carolina, owned by Baxter International, which supplies 60% of the nation’s IV fluids.

This shutdown has triggered conservation measures at hospitals across the country and led to the postponement of non-emergency surgeries.

CBS News Miami reached out to local hospital systems to assess their supply levels and conservation strategies.

Broward Health reported, “We are aware of the IV fluid situation resulting from Hurricane Helene’s impact on Baxter’s North Cove manufacturing site. However, Broward Health uses other distributors and remains unaffected. We are also exploring ways to assist other health systems in our region.”

Memorial Healthcare System similarly indicated it has no “major issues” as of Monday.

Jackson Health and Baptist Health did not respond in time for this story.

Meanwhile, Baxter International told CBS News Miami that it had “transported more than 350 truckloads of finished product off-site” and had begun shipping to customers.

The company hopes to restart production at its North Carolina plant in phases by the end of the year.

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