Northeast Ohio hospitals are scrambling to find alternatives to intravenous solution that will soon be in shortage after Hurricane Helene knocked out a factory of one of the country's largest supplier of IV fluids.
Northeast Ohio hospitals confirm Baxter International is a major supplier of IV solutions to the region. The company said its North Carolina plant, which produces 1.5 million IV fluid bags per day, had to be shut down after it suffered damaged from the hurricane.
Akron’s Summa Health System and Cleveland’s MetroHealth System both reported that they’ve started to conserve fluids.
MetroHealth's Dorsena Koonce said in a written statement that the system's pharmacy team has "implemented changes to procedures and workflows so we can conserve our supplies and cut back usage without compromising patient safety and care."
Summa Health said it is conserving IV fluids in accordance with recommendations from the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, which include taking oral electrolyte and hydration whenever possible and discontinuing infusions as soon as appropriate.
"At this time, patients are still receiving IV fluids when they need them and medical services are continuing as normal as we carefully monitor the situation to determine how long it may last," said Summa Health Hospitals President Charles A. Zonfa in a written statement.
Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Northeast Ohio's Mercy Health hospitals said they are evaluating their supplies and working with manufacturers.
Hospitals commonly use IV fluids in emergency rooms to treat dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.
John Palmer, a spokesperson for the Ohio Hospital Association, said the situation could turn urgent soon, as some Ohio hospitals have already been notified they are only going to receive half of their requested fluids.
“We are looking at just getting our arms around how severe this is and where hospitals feel like supplies are," he said.
Depending on when the Baxter facility reopens, it could impact hospitals for weeks to months, Palmer added.
That could be even more critical with flu season approaching, when there is typically increased hospitalizations requiring IV solutions for treatment, he said.
Northeast Ohio hospitals previously faced an IV shortage after Hurricane Maria shut down a different Baxter plant in Puerto Rico in 2017.
