IV fluid shortage exacerbated by Hurricane Helene may be delayed despite larger allocations

The shortage of intravenous (IV) fluids, exacerbated by Hurricane Helene’s damage at Baxter’s Marion, North Carolina, manufacturing plant, is expected to continue for months, even as customer and distributor supplies have increased, the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States (HHS) said a letter hospitals yesterday.

Since the typhoon caused flooding at the plant at the end of September, many hospitals across the country they are delaying non-urgent surgeries and injecting oral electrolyte fluids (eg, Gatorade, Pedialyte). Baxter provides about 60% of the IV fluids in hospitals in the United States.

In that letter, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, JD, noted the current shortages of normal saline IV fluids, normal saline irrigation fluid, sterile water irrigation, and dextrose 5% IV fluids.

“In the coming weeks, supply may continue to be under pressure, and we understand that some products are being distributed; however, Baxter reports that they have begun shipping to hospitals and dialysis providers and patients after temporary arrest last week, based on assignments as discussed earlier,” he said.

The goal is at least 90% by the end of the year

In the short term, inventory will support current distributions as several of Baxter’s global factories ramp up production, with other domestic manufacturers stepping in to fulfill orders within their divisions. , and the FDA is working with Baxter to identify any products that are already in the company’s system. considering any requests for extension of the expiry date, and considering the temporary price of imported products.

Due to the number of vulnerable patients they serve, allocations of IV solutions and nutritional products for children are selected‘s hospitals increased to 100%.

The HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is working with Baxter and other partners to support infrastructure recovery, the letter said. Based on this, the company’s efforts to increase production capacity in other plants, and the prospect of incoming products and shipments by air, the company said. yesterday that it has increased shares of the most sought-after IV fluids from 40% to 60% for direct consumers and from 10% to 60% for distributors.

“We are also adding high concentration dextrose and sterile water for injection distribution and expect to be in a position to add additional product codes in early November,” Baxter said. “Due to the number of vulnerable patients they serve, the allocation of IV solutions and nutritional products for selected children‘hospitals increased to 100%.

The plan, the company said, is to increase production and return to 90% to 100% distribution of certain IV solutions by the end of the year.

Hospitals are encouraged to implement a conservation plan

Until the product is returned to full value, “HHS encourages manufacturers, retailers and distributors to monitor product distribution and health care providers to implement product retention strategies to maintain safe, quality patient care and increasing available supply,” regardless of whether they have supply. barriers, the letter said.

HHS stated that hospitals should implement an organization-wide IV fluid safety plan and consider strategies such as prioritizing vulnerable populations with special needs (eg, pediatric and infant patients). , to substitute medicinal products (ie, oral or intramuscular or subcutaneous injection), or to add drugs to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug shortage list.