HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii hospitals and dialysis centers are bracing for shortages of two commonly used medical solutions after Hurricane Helen devastated one of the country's few manufacturing sites. I am.
We are talking about intravenous fluids and peritoneal dialysis fluids.
Intravenous fluids play an important role in helping hospitals prepare patients for surgery, treat sick people, and administer medications, while peritoneal dialysis fluid is used to remove toxins from the body of patients with kidney failure.
The Hawaiian Islands could begin to feel the effects “any minute now,” said Hilton Ressel, president of the Hawaii Medical Association.
The Baxter Pharmaceutical Factory in North Carolina, which produces 60% of the country's intravenous fluids, was forced to suspend production after the facility was flooded when levees burst from the debris of Hurricane Helen.
The storm not only left the factory covered in mud, but also made the bridge leading to the facility impassable.
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Officials estimate the company won't be operating at 100% until the end of the year.
“This affects every hospital in the state. It affects every surgical center. It affects every dialysis center,” Raisel said. “When you run out of IV fluid, it becomes a crisis situation.”
He said many of the state's largest hospitals use hundreds, if not thousands, of liters of IV fluid each day.
Currently, medical facilities served by Baxter are receiving 60% of their normal orders. The only exception is children's hospitals. Raethel says those orders are 100% filled.
It is possible to carry out conservation actions, but they are very limited.
Laselle said some mainland hospitals are rescheduling elective surgeries.
The American Hospital Association is also calling on the Biden administration to extend the expiration dates of these specific medical solutions.
Raethel said: “The good news is that all of our hospitals are working together, so if some hospitals have more supply and some have a shortage, hospitals can communicate with each other. Please share these resources if you wish.
The FDA just announced that it will temporarily allow the importation of certain medical solutions from manufacturers in other countries.
Meanwhile, in a statement posted on Baxter's website, the company's chief executive officer said: We will spare no resources, both physical and financial.”
HNN Investigates also checked in with Honolulu EMS. Emergency Medical Supervisor Sunny Johnson said the city is getting IV fluid from another manufacturer that was not affected by the storm.
“Honolulu EMS is confident that we have a sufficient supply of IV fluids to weather the national shortage for the next six months,” she said.
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