BOSTON — The largest hospital and healthcare system in Massachusetts is warning of an IV fluids shortage due to the “devastating effects” of Hurricane Helene.
Mass General Brigham said that it’s preparing to receive a “reduced supply” of IV fluids from Baxter International, a healthcare company that had to close its largest manufacturing facility in North Carolina due to Helen’s flooding.
“We have received a letter as have other customers from Baxter, saying that we will be receiving approximately 40% of what we normally order from them in terms of IV fluids and other medical fluids,” Dr. Paul Biddinger, chief preparedness and continuity officer at Mass General Brigham, told Boston 25 News.
Baxter manufactures about 60 percent of the country’s IV fluids supply. The closure could cause an immediate ripple effect in Massachusetts.
Biddinger said the hospital group has already created a specialized team to manage the impact and that they’ve implemented immediate strategies to conserve their supply of IV fluids and related products.
“Someone who would be able to eat and drink, we’re emphasizing oral hydration, if we don’t need the IV fluid,” Biddinger explained. “In some instances in which we might have spiked or prepared an IV fluid bag just in case, we’re holding back on that so that we don’t waste any units.”
Biddinger stressed that any patient who needs IV fluids will get it.
It’s unclear how long Mass General Brigham will receive a reduced supply of IV fluids from Baxter or how long the plant will be offline. Biddinger said the massive healthcare system will continue to react and take action as this unfolds.
Baxter’s facility in North Cove, North Carolina, employs more than 2,500 workers and the site primarily produces intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions. A view from the sky shows this medical plant itself surrounded by high waters and mud. A road leading to the plant washed away.
“Having experienced similar challenges in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, we continue to be mindful of how we manage the supply of these medications to ensure minimal impact on our patients. Hospital operations continue as normal and patient care remains unaffected,” Biddinger added.
Mass General Brigham uses about 100,000 IV bags a month.
Jose E. Almeida, the chair, president, and chief executive officer at Baxter, said the company is racing to restore production.
“The safety of our employees, their families, and the communities in which we operate remains our utmost concern, and we are committed to helping ensure reliable supply of products to patients,” Almeida said in a statement. “Remediation efforts are already underway, and we will spare no resource -- human or financial -- to resume production and help ensure patients and providers have the products they need.”
The Associated Press reported on Thursday that search-and-rescue crews were making their way toward the hardest-to-reach places in western North Carolina, where Helene washed out roads and knocked out electricity, water, and cellular service.
Helene’s death toll has reached 200 and could rise higher.
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