In the wake of shortages made worse by Hurricane Helene, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved changing the expiration date on multiple types of intravenous and sterile fluids made by Baxter International. Now, the fluids can be used up to two years after manufacturing instead of the previous one year, but this extension only applies to products manufactured prior to the end of September 2024. This may help alleviate some of the shortages which are affecting care. According to an analysis of health records by Truveta Research, in the wake of Hurricane Helen’s disruptions to the supply chain, “patients visiting emergency departments for dehydration or nausea are half as likely to receive IV fluids,” as reported by CNN.
Baxter International is one of the largest suppliers of IV fluids in the United States with its North Cove facility providing 60% of IV fluid in the USA, according to the American Hospital Association. There was a shortage of some IV-fluid products in the U.S. even before Hurricane Helene forced the Baxter International’s North Cove facility to close, but the closure of the North Carolina-based facility has made the shortage worse. The company plans to re-open at least part of its North Carolina facility earlier this week, so the company expects new batches of IV and other sterile fluids will be ready in mid- to late-November.
