Local hospitals, medical centers stock up on IV fluids during nationwide shortages

Portland, ore (bitter) — Local hospitals and surgery centers are dealing with a nationwide IV shortage after Hurricane Helen.

The four largest hospitals in our region – OHSU, Kaiser Permanente, Providence, and Legacy – all said they are stocking IV fluids and monitoring their inventory. OHSU has already postponed some surgeries.

“A lot of manufacturers are trying to be very judicious about where they send fluid, make sure everyone is getting a little bit, and a big facility isn't buying all the fluid,” says Lindsay Dye, a physician assistant at Evergreen Urgent Care. in Northwest Portland.

Sixty percent of the nation's IV fluids come from Baxter International's North Carolina plant, which was devastated by floodwaters during Hurricane Helen and is closed for the foreseeable future.

“A lot of plants are looking outside the country to try to get liquids, so it's amazing to me that we're so dependent,” Dye said.

Dye said their main goal is to keep people out of the emergency room. There is an easy way you can help.

“Trying to stay healthy from infectious diseases so washing hands, wearing masks when appropriate,” he said.

Dr. Matthew Lewis is a plastic surgeon at Pearl Surgical Center in Northwest Portland. He said the small independent surgery center gets an allocation of 24 bags per month based on the number of surgeries it performs.

“So all the remaining bags have to be ordered from private sellers,” he said. “With shortages, those costs are going up a lot.”

Although most of Dr. Lewis' surgeries are elective, he says when hospitals cancel surgeries, it affects small practices.

“Often we have to do the same thing because they're prioritized and so if they start canceling cases because they don't get supplies, then often we have to do the same thing.”

Lewis says if your upcoming surgery is postponed, please be patient because sometimes there is no other solution than to wait until supplies are available.