How the national IV fluid shortage is impacting Central Ohio hospitals

Central Ohio's four hospital systems are working together to conserve IV and dialysis fluids in the face of a nationwide shortage exacerbated by the recent hurricanes.

Why it matters: If the situation worsens, some local elective surgeries that require a lot of fluids could be postponed, the Central Ohio Hospital Council warned in a statement .

• That's already happened in Toledo .

Yes, but: For now, area hospitals are still operating as normal.

The big picture: Hurricane Helene temporarily shut down a Baxter International plant in North Carolina that supplies more than 60% of the nation's IV solution.

• The supply of fluids and other sterile injectable products was already tight before Helene.
• Baxter's goal is to restart production there in phases by the end of the year, though there's no timeline for when activity will be restored to pre-hurricane levels.
• In the meantime, the company is ramping up production at other worldwide facilities.

What's next: Local hospitals are keeping "regular communication" while monitoring their inventories and, when possible, are working with other manufacturers to get supplies.

The bottom line: "As this issue evolves, our hospital systems will continue to collaborate to lessen any impact on patient care," the Council statement reads.