The nation is facing a shortage of intravenous fluids, affecting local hospitals including IU Health Bloomington.
Damage from Hurricane Helene to a factory in North Carolina, where most of the country’s IV fluids are produced, created the shortage.
Read more: Hospitals brace for IV fluid shortages after Hurricane Helene closes N.C. manufacturing plant
IU Health spokesperson Samantha Kirby said the hospital is conserving IV fluids by having some patients rehydrate by drinking and taking medications orally where appropriate.
The hospital didn’t provide information on current supplies.
Monroe Hospital also declined comment on its supply of IV fluids.
Hospitals across America have postponed planned surgeries because of the shortage, according to the American Hospital Association. IV fluids are essential for many critical medical procedures.
By the end of the year, the Baxter International plant in North Carolina plans to restart production of IV fluids in phases, but it doesn’t have a timeline.
