DELMARVA -- Hospitals across Delmarva are feeling the affects of Hurricane Helene as they face a nationwide IV fluid shortage.
Sussex County's Beebe Healthcare and several other hospitals across the country get their IV fluid supply from Baxter International. It's the leading supplier of IV fluids to hospitals. However, the operation was shut down temporarily as the company's production facility in Marion, NC was flooded as a result of Hurricane Helene. Baxter officials says the facility is slowing resuming operations.
Beebe Healthcare's Chief Advanced Practice Clinician Amanda Connoyer says Beebe currently has enough of the fluid to continue providing quality care. But, with hospitals only receiving 40% to 60% of their usual IV fluid supply, Connoyer says staff are doing everything they can to conserve it.
"We're making sure only the patients that really need them have them," says Connoyer. "You know, if we can transition somebody to oral, we're going to do that to make sure that people that are in our ICU and our ERs and ORs have the supplies they need to be successful."
TidalHealth is also feeling the burn. In a statement to WBOC, Strategic Communications Director Roger Follebout says:
"TidalHealth, like all hospitals, is being affected by a nationwide shortage of IV fluids. Currently, we are managing the situation using adjusted supplies and alternative methods to administer medications and fluids, such as oral medications, injections, or smaller-volume IVs where possible. In many cases, these alternatives work just as effectively, and our bedside nurses and other clinicians are encouraging patients to ask questions and bring us their concerns so we can quell rumors and continue to help them understand their plan of care. We have protocols in place to manage the shortage and ensure that critical needs are still being met, and a multidisciplinary team featuring nurses, doctors, supply experts and others meeting daily that are focused on conservation efforts and finding alternative sources to maintain our supply. Despite the shortage, we are committed to making sure our patients receive the best possible care. Their safety will always be our top priority."
Meanwhile, Bayhealth Strategic Communications Director Vicki Luttrell does not say Bayhealth hospitals are directly experiencing the shortage, but:
“Like many hospitals across the country, Bayhealth is closely monitoring the national shortage of IV solutions resulting from the recent damage caused by Hurricane Helene,” said Dr. John Fink, Bayhealth Vice President Quality and Medical Affairs. “We have contingency plans in place to address potential supply disruptions and are actively managing our resources to ensure patient care remains unaffected. A multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, pharmacy staff, operating room personnel, and others is addressing this concern, working collaboratively to mitigate any impact. Bayhealth is coordinating with healthcare partners regionally and nationally to maintain the continuity of care for all our patients. We remain committed to delivering the highest quality of care to our community during this challenging time.”
Connoyer adds that despite supply being in stable condition, Beebe isn't in the clear just yet.
"We just need to continue to monitor what's coming out," she says. "Make sure that we have enough to provide the care to our patients that we need, so I think right now we're okay, but depending on how things go, that can shift."
