Hospitals take steps to conserve IV fluid supply after Helene strikes critical factory

NBCnews ^ | 10/3/24 | By Berkeley Lovelace Jr. and Mustafa Fattah

[CFW]

Hospitals across the U.S. are taking steps to conserve their supplies of IV fluids after Hurricane Helene struck a critical manufacturing plant belonging to the country’s biggest supplier.

Baxter International, a medical technology company responsible for making IV fluids for most U.S. hospitals, said Sunday that it would temporarily close production at its North Cove, North Carolina-based facility because of flooding from Helene, raising concerns about a potential nationwide shortage.

[snip]

There are four primary manufacturers of IV fluids in the U.S. Baxter is the leader, accounting for about 60% of the market.

The company is the main supplier for Mass General Brigham in Boston, which uses more than 100,000 liters of IV fluid from Baxter every month.

On a call Thursday with reporters, Dr. Paul Biddinger, Mass General’s chief preparedness and continuity officer, said the health system received a letter from Baxter that said that due to the temporary closure, the system would receive only 40% of its usual supply from the manufacturer.

[snip]

In a statement published online Thursday, Baxter said it doesn’t yet have a timeline for when operations will be back up and running.

A part of the problem, the company said, is that bridges to its site were damaged in the storm, limiting transport in and out.

[CFW]

This could cause shortages for some time to come. Hopefully, other manufacturers will be able to increase production in order to pick up the slack.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[caww]

Check Diddy’s storage places. His guests would have IV’s after their long sex sessions. Likely he has storage of them.

[Organic Panic]

We can give e blood. But I don’t trust red cross one bit. I have been neg. A bit rare. But I doubt anyth8ng I give e goes to those in need.