IV fluid shortage hits NE Ohio hospitals

Hospitals across the country have been battling a shortage of intravenous and dialysis fluids since Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina in September.

Flooding hit a Baxter International facility that produced approximately 60% of the IV fluids used in the U.S, according to the American Hospital Association.

Hospitals in the Canton region say they have not had to postpone surgeries and other procedures despite the shortage.

However, most IV fluids and irrigation fluids continue to be a challenge to source, said Erin Domenico, executive director of Aultman Pharmacy Services at Aultman Hospital in Canton.

“Working with our physicians, nursing, pharmacy and business teams, we have minimized the impact to patient care by focusing on conservation efforts, alternative hydration methods and additional sourcing opportunities,” she wrote in an email. “This includes encouraging oral hydration prior to procedures, changing the modalities of medication administration and increased focus on IV fluid stewardship throughout the system.”

The Cleveland Clinic, which owns Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital in Canton, reports that it was been closely monitoring this situation and has been implementing conservation strategies while continuing to care for all patients.

A hospital spokesperson said in an email that all patient needs are being met, and that no surgeries or procedures have been postponed or canceled.

Aultman’s Domenico said pharmacy and supply chain teams have worked to continue to maximize their allocations from Baxter, in addition to engaging with other manufacturers and distributors to provide support to fill in the gap.

“Having our own distribution warehouse has been a significant advantage for us during this shortage,” she wrote.

How is Millersburg’s Joel Pomerene Memorial Hospital coping?
At Joel Pomerene Memorial Hospital in Millersburg, CEO Jason Justus said in a prepared statement that the hospital “has been able to meet the needs of our patients by appropriately managing our on-hand supply of saline and other related IV supplies by working closely with our physicians and advanced practice professionals in the provision of their patient care.”

He said Pomerene internally formed a multi-disciplined team of caregivers and operations staff to evaluate the situation and to develop clinical protocols for the utilization of saline and other related IV supplies.

“Through this collaboration, we have been able to conduct normal operations, carefully manage our existing supply as well as source saline and other supplies to meet the needs of our patients,” Justus said.

Ohio’s IV supply system
The Ohio Hospital Association has been working with members to cope with the shortage, said John Palmer, director of public affairs.

He said the organization has been encouraging conservation efforts among hospitals and health care providers such as dialysis facilities.

Palmer said late last month that Baxter’s situation is improving and more shipments are expected in the coming weeks.

“The situation continues to be pretty volatile, and I think the situation with hospitals in particular, is that we are still experiencing allocation shipment delays,” Palmer said. “We’re also seeing hospitals reporting that they really have limited supply in regards to the IV solutions, resulting in some rescheduling of elective procedures.”

He said hospitals have been challenged in recent years, starting with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Palmer said the hospital association is participating with state government in a pandemic-era coordination effort intended to ensure that scarce supplies are in place when and where they are needed.

“OHA is committed to helping our members and working with the state to help get support and restoration as soon as possible,” Palmer said.

Justus said in a prepared statement that Pomerene and other hospitals in Northeast Ohio “are fortunate to be connected to several local and regional agencies that assist all hospitals in our region.

“Agencies such as (Northeast Central Ohio) Hospital Planning Committee, Healthcare Alliance of Greater Ohio, and our local emergency management group have been very proactive in maintaining communication and assisting with sourcing these supplies for hospitals in our region,” he said. The planning committee’s 13-county region includes hospitals from Summit, Stark, Portage, Medina, Ashland, Carroll, Columbiana, Holmes, Mahoning, Richland, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties.

“In addition,” Justus said, “Pomerene is staying in contact with the Ohio Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for the latest news and updates on the progress of restoring the supply of saline and other related IV supplies.” CantonRep