IV fluid shortage due to hurricane prompts hospitals to postpone surgeries
More than 86 percent of health-care providers nationwide are experiencing an IV fluid shortage in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, according to a survey of more than 250 providers released Thursday by Premier, a heath-care technology and supply chain company.
Nearly 17 percent of respondents had canceled elective surgeries, and another 58 percent were considering doing so in the near term.
Not all hospitals are seeing their supply heavily impacted. But Premier is recommending they all take steps to help conserve the products.
“It’s very similar to the messaging that we used during the pandemic where regardless of whether or not you were in a hot spot, you needed to conserve available supply in order to do what was in the best interest nationally,” said Soumi Saha, Premier’s senior vice president of government affairs.
