by Annie Mackin, UVMMC

As cleanup efforts continue at a major IV fluid production facility in North Carolina flooded by Hurricane Helene, University of Vermont Health Network hospitals are working to conserve IV fluids, closely monitoring supplies, and taking steps to minimize the potential impact to patients.

[Ed. note: The Baxter North Cove IV production facility reportedly makes about 60% of some IV products in the country. The company president said October 17 that it hopes to “begin restarting North Cove production in the coming weeks…..Based on 1) the current status of our remediation efforts, 2) our expectations regarding our ability to reallocate capacity from other Baxter facilities, and 3) initiation of temporary importation on certain products, our goal remains to return to 90% to 100% allocation of certain IV solution product codes by the end of 2024.”]

IV fluids are an important part of many surgical procedures and are integral to delivering a variety of medications, balancing electrolytes and treating or preventing dehydration.

• Patients who visit a UVM Health Network location may see hospital and clinic staff taking steps to conserve IV fluid, such as providing oral electrolytes and rehydration therapy when possible.
• No procedures have been postponed at this time, and patients should arrive for scheduled appointments and surgeries as planned unless they are contacted by their provider.
• Network teams are continuously evaluating use rates and levels of affected supplies, and will use that data to make decisions regarding elective procedures in the coming days and weeks.
  

“We are putting patient safety first in every decision and continuing to evaluate the situation as it evolves,” said David Clauss, MD, chief medical officer at UVM Health Network. “Our number one priority is ensuring that we are able to provide emergency care to our patients when they need us, and we will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure adequate supply of IV fluids.”

UVM Health Network has stood up Incident Command at each partner hospital and at the network level. Supply chain teams are collaborating to be sure each partner hospital has an adequate supply of IV fluids. Teams are also working with purchasing organizations and New York, Vermont and federal governments to explore additional FDA-approved supply options, share best practices and manage resources during this national shortage. UVM Health Network will update the community if more steps need to be taken.