New Hampshire hospitals are taking steps to conserve IV bags, after flooding from Hurricane Helene knocked out a major manufacturing plant in North Carolina.
The Baxter International plant produced around 60% of the nation’s supply of intravenous solutions, according to the American Hospital Association. Those fluids play a role in treating dehydration, supporting patients during surgery and providing dialysis to some patients with kidney failure, among other uses.
Because of the plant closure, the Mass General Brigham system — which includes Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover — has been told it will only get around 40% of what the company would normally supply, said Dr. Paul Biddinger, the system’s chief preparedness and continuity officer.
But he said patient care has not been compromised, and Mass General Brigham hospitals have not had to cancel any procedures.
“Patients are still getting IV fluids when they need them,” he said. “We are continuing normal clinical services, but emphasizing conservation.”
Biddinger said those conservation measures include switching to oral hydration for patients who can safely drink, and holding off in situations where medical staff might normally prep an IV bag just in case.
Biddinger said Mass General Brigham is still trying to figure out how long the shortage could go on before it starts affecting normal operations, “but it's not in the near term.”
He said the health system endured a similar shortage after Hurricane Maria in 2017, and did not have to alter patient care.
Similarly, Catholic Medical Center in Manchester said it’s working to limit the impact on patients as it adjusts to the shortage.
“CMC is actively working to analyze inventory and develop an IV fluids conservation plan, including identifying areas to extend supply, without compromising patient care or hospital operations,” hospital spokesperson Laura Montenegro said in a statement.
A spokesperson for HCA Healthcare — which includes Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester and Parkland Medical Center Derry — said it has contingency plans in place to make sure it has adequate supplies.
“We have what we currently need, and will continue to monitor the situation,” the spokesperson, Ellen Miller, said.
Dartmouth Health also said it does not anticipate any disruptions in patient care, between conservation measures and sourcing IV fluids from alternate suppliers.
The New Hampshire Hospital Association said the IV fluid shortage is “significantly impacting” hospitals in the state, and could lead to increased costs for health systems while putting more strain on health care workers.
The association said hospitals are monitoring their inventory, talking to staff about ways to conserve supplies and communicating with each other about best practices.
“Their primary goal is to minimize disruptions to patients while still providing high-quality health care,” Executive Vice President Kathy Bizarro-Thunberg said in a statement.
