When the remnants of Hurricane Helene moved inland, the effects of rain and storm surge flooded and damaged a factory that makes intravenous fluids used in hospitals around the country including those in Oroville and Chico.
Baxter International’s North Cove manufacturing site in Marion, North Carolina, about 35 miles outside of Asheville, was significantly impacted by the hurricane and is closed. The facility produces 50 percent of the nation’s IV fluid supply, according to Chris Marking, Enloe Health’s senior director of pharmacy.
The plant closure has resulted in IV solution shortages of products including normal saline, lactated ringers, Dextrose containing solutions, electrolyte containing solutions and some dialysis fluid. Irrigation solutions such as sterile saline, sterile water and lactated ringers are also in short supply, according to Edie Fischer, Oroville Hospital’s chief nursing officer.
As soon as the hospital became aware of the shortage Fisher said they reached out to other suppliers to request additional stock. The hospital is also “following industry response and our conservation efforts are in line with many other hospitals across California,” she said.
“We have not canceled any elective surgeries. We are working with providers to mitigate supply usage so that we can continue providing surgical and procedural services,” said Fisher. “We are evaluating our stock daily, and have instituted changes to ensure that we can provide safe, effective care while being mindful of supply availability.”
The hospital also opened up an “internal incident command” to work with Butte County Medical and Health Operational Area Coordinator to gain supplies as available.
In response to the shortage, Enloe Health is pausing all elective procedures. Approximately 150 patients have been rescheduled. Emergency and lifesaving procedures are not affected.
Enloe is also regularly reviewing its IV fluids inventory and is working with its other vendors to find alternative sources for the fluids, according to Marking.
“The health and safety of our community remains our top priority,” said Marking. “We recognize the inconvenience this is causing our patients and are working hard to minimize the impact and duration of the situation.”
In an Oct. 3 hurricane update posted to its website, Baxter International stated it does not yet have a timeline for when the North Cove plant will be up and running again.
The company has implemented allocations “to help ensure we are appropriately managing our inventory and minimizing disruption to patient care. That means that after review and consideration of available inventory and the medical necessity of the impacted products, a specific limit on what a customer can order has been implemented. This allocation helps limit stockpiling and increases the likelihood of equitable access to available products.”
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