UCHealth postponing some non-emergent cases due to nationwide IV shortage

DENVER — UCHealth said it is postponing some non-emergency cases requiring a lot of IV fluids due to a nationwide shortage.

This comes as a North Carolina supply manufacturer that supplies 60% of the nation’s IV fluids continues to recover from Hurricane Helene.

“[Friday] afternoon, 4:30, I get a call saying, 'No, we don't have IV fluids, and so we can't do the surgery.' I was upset,” Terry Joebchen said.

Joebchen was looking forward to the surgery on the rotator cup in his right shoulder because he was in a lot of pain. Additionally, he said he had already taken leave from work and had spent money to make his recovery more comfortable.

“I rented a recliner because I can't sleep in my bed after the shoulder surgery. You know, a recliner is best. So I rented a recliner at $450 for a month,” Joebchen said.

Joebchen is among many impacted by the IV shortage after Helene knocked the North Carolina supplier offline.

“The provider put all the hospitals on something called allocation, which prevented them from only buying a certain percent of what they normally spend,” Jack Buffington, director of supply chain management at the University of Denver, said.

Buffington said this action would prevent panic buying and would calm the market.

Joebchen learned Saturday morning that his postponed surgery is now back on for Monday.

Denver7 received a statement from UCHealth that reads:

” UCHealth’s top priority is patient safety and well-being. Due to the ongoing, national shortage of IV fluids caused by recent hurricanes, UCHealth has implemented conservation measures to ensure IV fluids are available for all patients who need them. As part of the conservation plan, UCHealth locations will begin postponing some non-emergent cases that require the use of large amounts of IV fluids. The goal is to preserve our supplies for patients with emergent and urgent needs. Patients are being notified, and we will reschedule these cases as soon as possible” – Media Relations Specialist, Grant DeMars

We also reached out to the AdventHealth Medical System who responded via e-mail saying:

“AdventHealth’s Rocky Mountain Region does not rely on Baxter as our main supplier of IV fluids. We are working closely with B. Braun and Medline to secure our allocation based on past usage patterns to safeguard our supply. While we do not anticipate any disruptions to our solutions, saline, or other products, we are advising our facilities to use resources conservatively as a precautionary measure. Our supply chain teams are maintaining regular communication to ensure we have the necessary supplies on hand.” – Communications & Public Relations, Rachel Robinson

Intermountain Health sent Denver7 a brief statement saying in part:

“We are not aware of any surgeries at Intermountain needing cancellations for this situation”- Media Relations Lead, Brad Gillman

Denver Health sent Denver 7 a press release statement :

"The IV fluid shortage should not deter patients from seeing their providers or coming to the hospital when sick. Drawing on recommendations from professional societies and our internal experts, Denver Health is implementing strategies that limit use of IV fluids, when appropriate, through best or equivalently alternative practices that have minimal impact on patient outcomes. These conservation strategies are useful practices to encourage good stewardship of resources in any health care setting. At this time, patients should not expect impacts to their care or procedure and treatment schedule."

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