When Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina in late September, the Baxter International factory where more than half of the IV fluids in the U.S. are made was shut down.
Now, hospitals, including those in central Pennsylvania, are continuing to work around shortages of IV fluids.
Tiffany Cabibbo, chief nursing officer of Mount Nittany Health in Centre County, said Mount Nittany is getting about 60% of the IV fluid supply they normally would. That's in keeping with what's happening nationally. According to an October survey by a medical purchasing company, nearly 90% of respondents said they were getting less than half of their requested orders for IV fluids.
To help manage that reduction in supply, Cabibbo said Mount Nittany has conservation efforts in place, such as going with oral hydration for a patient instead of fluids, when that’s possible.
“We have to be ready for any emergency that comes through our building," she said. "Do we feel that no matter what happened today, we would be able to service any emergency that comes in? That's sort of our line in the sand, and then we prioritize from there.”
So far Mount Nittany has only had one day when they had to reschedule elective surgeries. And, Cabibbo said, even though a surgery might be classified as "elective," for the patient, who is experiencing pain or disruption, the surgery is a priority.
“Our goal is, is really laser focused on trying to have zero disruptions, as possible," Cabibbo said.
Baxter International has restarted some production lines. That includes the commonly used 1-liter IV solutions. In the company's latest updates, Baxter says it expects to return to full shipments for several products by the end of the year.
