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Columbia hospitals are prioritizing emergency care amid IV fluid shortage

Hospital beds
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Boone Health is putting a temporary pause on elective surgeries and is prioritizing emergency care while in the shortage.

Mid-Missouri hospitals are planning ahead for strained IV fluid supplies in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Boone Health is putting a temporary pause on elective surgeries and is prioritizing emergency care while in the shortage. Surgeries and elective procedures will continue as normal at MU Health Care.

“Our main goal is to make sure that our operating rooms and our other critical care units are open for emergencies and critical injuries,” Boone Health spokesperson Christian Basi said. “If it’s something that they are needing now, it’s absolutely going to get done.”

While there is no specific timeline for resuming elective surgeries, Basi said they hope to resume them as soon as possible.

Operations interrupted in North Carolina, Florida

IV fluid and medicine manufacturer Baxter International recently shut down operations at its site in Marion, North Carolina, in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The manufacturer supplies IV fluids to nearly 60% of the nation’s hospitals.

On Wednesday, Baxter International increased the amount of IV fluids it’s allocating from 40% to 60% of each hospital’s typical need.

B. Braun, another major IV fluids manufacturer, shut down its Daytona Beach, Florida, plant and distribution center Wednesday and moved its inventory to a site north of Florida as Hurricane Milton approached. B. Braun said it expects operations at Daytona Beach sites to resume Friday.

Dave Dillon, spokesperson at the Missouri Hospital Association, said supply chain difficulties are not out of the ordinary for hospitals. What makes this shortage different, Dillon said, is how ubiquitous IV fluids are to hospital operations.

“Other (supplies) are used widely, but this is something that absolutely a large variety of hospital interventions require,” Dillon said. “We are staying very connected to hospitals and trying to evaluate how that scarcity is affecting the hospital resources within the state.”

Dillon said supply chain shortages are common, so health care providers have strategies in place to approach them.

“These blips in our supply chain happen enough that we know how to address the source,” Dillon said. “We are very aware of this as a challenge, and all of the people who really need to be working on this … are working to build the systems to get that back online.”

Boone Health and MU Health Care shortage response

If patients have questions, Boone Health recommends those scheduled for elective surgeries contact their surgeons and primary care providers.

“It’s key that they keep that communication going with their medical providers so that we can ensure that we are addressing any concerns that they have,” Basi said. “We are trying to get in touch with every possible patient, but if they have some specific questions, it’s key that they talk to their medical provider.”

For non-emergency cases, Basi said the hospital is looking into alternate ways of hydrating patients, including oral hydration for those who can ingest fluids.

“We do expect things to turn around relatively soon,” Basi said. “We’re watching it very closely, and we’re working with our peers.”

MU Health Care spokesperson Eric Maze said the hospital is working to adapt to the shortage.

“MU Health Care is taking proactive measures to conserve our supply, while continuing to ensure our patients receive the treatment they need,” Maze said.

The Columbia Missourian is a community news organization managed by professional editors and staffed by Missouri School of Journalism students who do the reporting, design, copy editing, information graphics, photography and multimedia.
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