IV Fluids in Short Supply as Hurricanes Affect Drugmakers

Oct. 10, 2024 — A clear bag of liquid hanging next to a hospital bed typically doesn’t warrant a second glance, but now each pouch is considered precious.

That’s because Hurricane Helene damaged the nation’s main plant that makes intravenous fluids nearly 2 weeks ago. The plant is in a small mountain town in western North Carolina, and rain and flooding destroyed some inventory and raw materials. Also, the road to the plant collapsed, according to a letter Baxter sent to its customers.

The company makes about 60% of all IV fluids used in the US, and the destruction has made IV fluids less available for newborns, surgery, childbirth, chemotherapy, dialysis, and more. As many as 1.5 million bags of fluids from the North Carolina plant alone are typically used each day in the US. The company said this week that children’s hospitals are receiving 100% of their usual allocations of IV solutions and of products used to provide nutrition, but fulfilling all customer orders may not be possible until the end of the year.

Some IV fluids are being emergency airlifted to the US from other countries. The US Department of Health and Human Services is working to find ways to increase supply, including searching for other potential sites to make the fluids and more import options, the American Hospital Association told its members on Wednesday.

Another large maker of IV fluids, B. Braun, paused production at its Daytona Beach plant this week as Hurricane Milton took aim at a large swath of Florida. The company also moved completed products out of the path of the storm, which made landfall Wednesday evening. Plant operations are expected to resume Friday.

Health care systems have suggested broad changes amid the shortage, such as asking patients to drink Gatorade for hydration. Some medical facilities may make products in-house, and strict procedures are in place for conservation of fluids already on hand, such as by managing flow rate, duration, and dosage.

UVA Health in Charlottesville, Virginia, notified patients that some should expect nonurgent procedures to be postponed and that the shortage may last several weeks. The message instructed people to still come to the hospital or call 911 as they usually would during an emergency.

SOURCES:

American Hospital Association: “Updates on IV Fluid Supplies After Helene Forces Closure of Baxter Manufacturing Plant,” “UPDATE: Baxter to Increase Allocations for IV Solution Supplies to Hospitals Effective Today, Oct. 9.”

Baxter: “Customer Letter Issued 9/29/2024: Update on Baxter’s North Cove, NC Facility,” “Hurricane Helene Updates: DEERFIELD, Ill. — 2024-10-09.”

B. Braun: “B. Braun Medical Statement on Hurricane Milton Preparedness.”

UVA Health: “Fluid Shortage & Procedure Postponement: Frequently Asked Questions.”