SPOKANE, Wash. — A shortage of intravenous fluids (IV) stemming from the closure of a facility in North Carolina due to Hurricane Helene is impacting hospitals in Spokane.
Flooding caused by Hurricane Helene forced medical technology manufacturer Baxter International to stop production at a North Carolina facility responsible for about 60% of the United States’ supply of IV, according to reporting from the New York Times.
On Thursday, MultiCare confirmed that hospitals in Washington have been impacted by the shortage, and a spokesperson said the hospital system is taking steps to mitigate disruption.
“To compensate for this shortage, MultiCare hospitals across the state have implemented an IV Fluid Conservation Strategy that is evaluated daily,” MultiCare Inland Northwest spokesperson Kevin Maloney wrote in an email. “MultiCare’s team has been closely monitoring this situation to conserve IV fluids when appropriate while still providing the necessary care for all of our patients.”
In a statement provided by Providence by email, the hospital system confirmed it has also been impacted by the Baxter plant closure.
Providence is employing various mitigation strategies to ensure there is no disruption to patient care, including strategies to conserve current supply and use of alternative fluids and solutions as appropriate,” the statement reads.
The closures have prompted federal officials to scramble to replenish supplies. Neither MultiCare nor Providence offered a timeline for when they expect their supplies could be returned to normal.
