Nationwide IV fluid shortage changing how hospitals manage patient hydration

November 19, 2024

saline bag hanging from rack

(NPR) – Hospitals around the country are conserving critical intravenous fluid bags to cope with a shortage that may last months. Some hospital administrators say they are changing how they think about IV fluid hydration altogether.

Hurricane Helene, which hit North Carolina in September, flooded a Baxter International facility that produces 60% of the IV fluids used in the U.S., according to the American Hospital Association. The company was forced to stop production and is rationing its products. In an update posted Nov. 7, Baxter said its facility in Marion, N.C., has resumed producing some IV fluids. (Read More)