Addressing the IV Fluid Shortage

October 15, 2024

Late last month, Baxter International’s major manufacturing plant in North Carolina was impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Helene, leading to a massive shortage of IV fluids and peritoneal dialysis solutions.

In an action led by the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American College of Chest Physicians calls on the Food and Drug Administration to coordinate efforts to mitigate these supply chain challenges, including:

• Establishing a clear communication channel among manufacturers, distributors, and health care facilities to share updates on supply availability and timelines for recovery
• Identifying and prioritizing the production of critical medical supplies that are currently affected by the plant’s closure, as well as expediting import of these products from international suppliers to ensure that emergency medical services providers and health care facilities can maintain essential operations
• Encouraging and assisting manufacturers to explore alternative production facilities or methods to compensate for the loss of output from the Baxter plant

Read the letters to FDA Commissioner, Robert M. Califf, MD, and President Biden.