I used to joke that IV fluids were my saving grace. Need hydration? Hook me up. Feeling dizzy? Time for a liter of saline. For a few years, I relied on these magical bags to keep me upright and somewhat functioning—and I know I’m not alone.
The devastation of Hurricane Helene flooded and wrecked one of Baxter International’s main production sites in North Cove, North Carolina temporarily closing the production site. As a result, hospitals all over the USA are reporting that they are only receiving 40% of their usual supply of fluids, meaning that access to these fluids is being rationed.
IV fluids are used to deliver hydration during hospitalizations, ER visits, surgeries, and infusions such as chemotherapy or kidney dialysis. For patients that can’t hydrate orally, IV fluids are critical for daily functioning.
Globally, approximately 25 MILLION people receive IV therapy and, in the US alone, around 35,000 people rely solely on IV nutrition and hydration. That means their only source of hydration and nutrition is through an IV.
Hearing about the national IV shortage gave me a chill down my spine. IV fluids are more than just 0.9% saline and sterile water. For many people, they’re a lifeline. And thanks to Hurricane Helene, that lifeline seems a little frayed.
This crisis serves as a wake-up call to the necessity of robust supply chains and disaster preparedness.Living in an era of so much ecological and public health disruption necessitates the improvement of emergency response. We need to be more prepared than this.
Baxter International is a medical supply company responsible for making 60% of the USA’s IV fluids and a large percentage of medical supplies specifically peritoneal dialysis solutions. The company produces 1.5 million bags of IV fluids a day which is more than any other IV supply company in the US.
Hospitals are stocking up on Gatorade and other electrolyte drinks to encourage oral hydration among patients and conserve IV fluids. Even cancer patients are being rationed fluids as the supply dwindles.
How would you make decisions about rationing the fluids? Who would get priority and what factors would influence your choices?
These are the questions that hospitals are being faced with. The lack of fluids has called into question whether or not elective surgeries should be canceled. And if elective surgeries are cancelled, a large percentage of the hospital’s revenue is lost which means their ability to support their staff decreases…this means layoffs.
UToledo Health and Laughlin Healthcare Center have already begun cancelling elective with dozens more hospitals potentially following suit if the lack of fluids persists. Scarily enough, this isn’t even the first time that Baxter Internation has been devastated by a hurricane leaving hospitals in a tailspin for supplies. In fall of 2017, a main manufacturing branch in charge of parenteral bags used for the delivery of feeding tube formula, IV bags, TPN, and compounded medications was damaged by Hurricane Maria and facilities in Ireland, Australia, Canada, and England had to ramp up production until the facility in Puerto Rico could resume production.
Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina meant 1-2 hurricanes or tropical storms every fall and lots of flooding. Sometimes we’d have to evacuate, and other times we’d have a “hurrication” aka a mini vacation at home where work and school were cancelled because of the flooding, and my family would have movie marathons and eat ice cream by the tub. Gratefully, the devastation was limited to power outages, flooding, and trees down, but no one where I lived was ever critically in danger due to the hurricanes. The first time I remember genuinely being afraid was the first time a hurricane came when I was reliant on a feeding tube. If the power went out for extended periods and I couldn’t charge my feeding pump, I would not be able to get any nutrition or hydration. It was terrifying.
This was when I realized the disproportionate vulnerabilities that those with disabilities or chronic illnesses experience in the face of natural disaster. The IV shortage is more than a little hiccup in the supply chain—it’s a reminder of how fragile our healthcare system is when catastrophe strikes.
Witnessing a single storm knock out a critical supply of IV fluids, raises a bigger question: what backup plan is in place for people whose lives depend on these treatments when the system falls short?
For many with chronic illnesses and disabilities, a steady supply of medical necessities is vital. The current shortage of fluids due to Hurricane Helene shines a spotlight on the broader issue of healthcare vulnerabilities during disasters. It showcases just how unprepared we are to meet the needs of the sick and disabled when in the face of the unexpected.
But this issue doesn’t just impact people who are sick; it affects everyone. Whether you’re a patient tech, hospital support staff, nurse, physician, marketing manager, or any of the many roles within healthcare, the ripple effects of this shortage will be felt across the board. If hospitals are forced to reduce spending, it could lead to job losses for hundreds of people.
When one of us suffers, we all feel the impact.
