Brigham is postponing certain elective surgeries starting Sunday, Oct. 13, due to a severe shortage of intravenous (IV) fluids due to supply chain disruptions caused by Hurricane Helen. The postponement will last until at least Wednesday, Oct. 16, as the hospital system works to maintain limited IV supplies for the most urgent cases. Hospitals are expected to reassess supply levels and decide whether to postpone further surgeries by Tuesday, October 15. Healthcare workers across the country are using intravenous fluids nationwide in the wake of Hurricane Helen’s devastating impact. As we continue to face shortages, Army Gen. Brigham has made the difficult decision to postpone non-emergency elective procedures requiring IV fluids starting this Sunday in October. 13 until at least Wednesday, October 16,” the statement said in a written statement. “While we strive to minimize the impact on patients, these measures will ensure that we can provide urgently needed patient care.” Severe flooding at the Baxter International plant in North Cove, North Carolina. of sterile infusions. The plant, which was forced to close due to hurricane-related damage, supplies most of the nation’s sterile intravenous fluids. The facility also produces infusion fluids used in home kidney dialysis. Since then, Baxter has been limiting customer orders to prevent stockpiling and maintain equal distribution across the country. Hospitals across the country have been affected by these restrictions, forcing them to take conservation measures and reschedule non-emergency surgeries. Army Gen. Brigham is working to contact patients whose surgeries will be postponed and reschedule them as soon as possible. Hospitals hope to return to normal operations soon, but no final timeline has been set due to the uncertainty surrounding the IV supply chain. The effects of the shortage extend beyond Massachusetts General. Tufts Medicine also faces IV fluid supply challenges due to damage to Baxter’s manufacturing plant. Tufts University officials said in a separate statement that they are taking conservation measures and are actively seeking alternative sources. “Like many other hospitals and health systems across the country, Tufts Medicine’s IV fluid supply has been impacted by the effects of Hurricane Helen,” Tufts said. In a written statement. “Our supply chain and pharmacy teams are working diligently to identify and secure alternative sources of sterile solutions,” Dr. Paul Biddinger, Brigham’s chief of readiness continuity, said last week. He told The Associated Press that the hospital system expected only 40%. Reduce the amount of regular IV fluids delivered.
Boston —
Brigham is postponing certain elective surgeries starting Sunday, Oct. 13, due to a severe shortage of intravenous (IV) fluids due to supply chain disruptions caused by Hurricane Helen.
The postponement will last until at least Wednesday, Oct. 16, as the hospital system works to maintain limited IV supplies for the most urgent cases.
The hospital plans to reassess supply levels by Tuesday, October 15, to determine whether further surgeries need to be postponed.
“As health care workers across the country continue to face a national IV fluid shortage in the wake of Hurricane Helen’s devastating impact, Army Gen. Brigham announced on October 13 that non-emergency elective procedures requiring IV fluids will be “We have made the difficult decision to postpone the event from Sunday until the 20th at least until Wednesday, October 16th,” the statement said in a written statement. “While we strive to minimize the impact on our patients, these measures will ensure that we can provide urgently needed patient care.”
The IV fluid shortage is due to severe flooding at the Baxter International plant in North Cove, North Carolina, a major supplier of sterile IV fluids.
The factory, which was forced to close due to hurricane-related damage, supplies most of the nation’s sterile intravenous fluids. The facility also produces fluids used for home kidney dialysis.
Since then, Baxter has been limiting orders from customers to prevent inventory buildup and maintain even distribution across the country. Hospitals across the country have been affected by these restrictions, forcing them to implement infection control measures and reschedule non-emergency procedures.
Gen. Brigham is contacting patients whose surgeries will be postponed and is working to reschedule their surgeries as soon as possible. Hospitals hope to return to normal operations soon, but due to the uncertainty surrounding the IV supply chain, no final timeline has been set.
The effects of the shortage extend beyond Mass General.
Tufts Medicine also faces IV fluid supply challenges due to damage to Baxter’s manufacturing plant.
Tufts University officials said in a separate statement that they are taking conservation measures and actively searching for alternative resources.
“Like many other hospitals and health systems across the country, Tufts Medicine’s IV fluid supply has been impacted by the effects of Hurricane Helen,” Tufts said in a written statement. “Our supply chain and pharmacy teams are working diligently to identify and secure alternative sources of sterile solutions.”
Dr. Paul Biddinger, Brigham’s chief of readiness continuity, told The Associated Press last week that the hospital system was expecting only 40% of its normal supply of intravenous fluids.
