Shortages of intravenous fluids, worsened by Hurricane Helene damage at Baxter's Marion, North Carolina, manufacturing plant, are expected to continue for months, although allocations to customers and distributors have increased, HHS says in a letter to hospitals. Since the hurricane triggered flooding at the plant in late September, many hospitals across the country have been delaying non-urgent surgeries and substituting oral electrolyte fluids. Baxter supplies about 60% of IV fluids to hospitals in the United States. In the letter, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, JD, noted current shortages of normal saline IV fluids, normal saline irrigation fluid, sterile water irrigation, and dextrose 5% IV fluids.
