American Hospital Association warns of IV shortage after Helene flooding

The American Hospital Association is asking the federal government to declare a shortage on IV fluids after flooding from Hurricane Helene left a North Carolina plant damaged.

The company Baxter makes sterile intravenous fluids and kidney dialysis fluids, accounting for 60% of the country's daily supply.

But because of the flooding, “Our members are already reporting substantial shortages of these lifesaving and life-supporting products. Patients across America are already feeling this impact, which will only deepen in the coming days and weeks unless much more is done to alleviate the situation and minimize the impact on patient care,” the AHA wrote in a letter to the Biden Administration.

The company said in a press release Monday supply will be adjusted in the next two weeks as their overseas plants ramp up manufacturing. They've already started to limit ordering to prevent stockpiling. A senior administration official tells Scripps News remediation is also underway to return the damaged plant to full operation.

IV fluids are used in a variety of different ways in the hospital — to treat dehydration and for fluid and nutrient replacement in surgery patients and trauma patients who have serious injury or burns. IVs are also used in a variety of different drug therapies.

Now hospitals are scaling back and pausing elective surgeries and offering other forms of water and electrolyte replacement. The American Hospital Association is asking federal health officials to declare a national health emergency and invoke the Defense Production Act, which could mean extending shelf life dates and requiring and incentivizing manufacturers to accept contracts to make sterile IV solutions and their bags.

The Department of Health and Human Services tells Scripps News ”all options are on the table” to “bolster supply and mitigate impact to patients over the coming weeks.”

“The Administration is working closely with Baxter, other manufacturers, state partners, hospitals, medical distributors, and other stakeholders to assess and mitigate the situation. HHS is actively pursuing a variety of options to address supply disruptions,“ it added.

RELATED STORY | Cost of health benefits expected to rise over 5% for 3rd year in a row, report says