Hospitals have been warned to prepare for an IV fluid shortage as the country continues to grapple with the impacts of Hurricane Helene.
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Hospitals have been warned to prepare for an IV fluid shortage as the country continues to grapple with the impacts of Hurricane Helene.
A North Carolina facility that provides 60% of IV fluids for the country was significantly damaged by flooding, knocking operations offline.
The Mass General Brigham system has been warned that they will only receive around 40% of their usual allocation for now. The hospital group is now taking steps to conserve fluids but they stressed that clinical operations continue as normal.
Dr. Paul Biddinger, Chief Preparedness and Continuity Officer at Mass General, told 22News, “Patients are still getting IV fluids when they need them, we are continuing normal clinical services but emphasizing conservation and we are carefully monitoring this incident to determine how long it may last.”
The hospital group pointed out that they implemented similar measures when Hurricane Maria hit in 2017, and did not have to change up operations or cancel surgeries.
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