New ASHP Survey Shows How Hospitals Are Handling IV Fluid Shortages

One month after Hurricane Helene damaged a Baxter International manufacturing plant in North Carolina and caused a national shortage of critical IV fluids, hospitals continue to cope with short supply by changing how medications are purchased and administered, reserving supplies for certain patients, and using smaller bags, according to ASHP survey results released this week.

Nearly 85% of the 400 participants surveyed Oct. 16–25 reported the shortage is having a moderate or critical impact on their operations. Moderate was defined as requiring interventions that affect patient care; critical was defined as requiring delays or cancelations of treatments.

In hospitals that rely on Baxter as their primary supplier of fluid, the percentage reporting moderate and critical impacts was even higher, 91%.

Almost half of respondents responsible for purchasing and inventory management reported inventories of large-volume fluids are down to two weeks’ supply or less.

Converting infused medications to injection or intramuscular administration and increasing the purchase of premixed medications were the conservation methods most commonly used by respondents. Seventeen percent of all participants reported canceling or delaying voluntary surgeries due to the shortages.

ASHP and the University of Utah Drug Information Service collaborated on widely shared management and conservation strategies for the ongoing shortage of IV fluids, updating the recommendations this week to include sterile irrigation conservation strategies.

Meanwhile, efforts are underway to beef up the supply through importation of products from Baxter’s international plants, extending expiration dates, compounding, and the recent re-opening of Baxter’s North Carolina plant.

Read the ASHP survey report.