When IV Fluids Run Low, Who Could Be Affected?

Patients can expect fewer treatment sessions, postponed procedures, and changes in care.

A patient has his hand held at a hospital, in a file photo. The Canadian Press/David Joles-Star Tribune via AP

Hospitals across the United States face a critical intravenous (IV) fluid shortage after Baxter International’s North Cove plant in North Carolina, one of the nation’s largest suppliers, was significantly affected by the storm surge and flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.

The disruption has left health care providers scrambling to meet patient needs and rationing essential treatments, especially after Baxter limited what facilities can order to 60 percent to “increase the likelihood of equitable access to available products,” according to its most recent update released Oct. 9.