Mount Nittany conserving IV fluids to prioritize emergency care as shortage impacts nation
Hospitals across the country are facing a shortage of IV fluids in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s impact on one of the country’s largest suppliers, and Mount Nittany Health is taking some proactive measures to conserve its supply.
The health system announced Friday that if its supply of IV fluids becomes “critically low,” it will need to cancel elective surgeries and procedures so it can prioritize emergency care. Mount Nittany expects the shortage to continue through the end of the year
In a press release, the health system said ensuring a stable supply to handle emergency cases is the top priority.
To avoid having to cancel elective surgeries, Mount Nittany said it is working with medical and clinical teams to “conserve” IV fluid usage.
“We are committed to ensuring that our patients receive the care they need without disruption,” said Tiffany Cabibbo, chief nursing officer at Mount Nittany Health. “By working together to conserve resources, we are hopeful that we can avoid any cancellations of scheduled procedures.”
Cabibbo said their health care providers are working to ensure every patient receives the care needed even with supply challenges.
If cancellations are necessary, physician offices will contact those impacted to be rescheduled. Additional updates will be shared on mountnittany.org.
Baxter International, one of the country’s largest IV fluid suppliers, was impacted by Hurricane Helene, which caused destruction and fatalities across the southeastern United States last month. Flooding from the hurricane shut down a plant in Marion, North Carolina, that makes products like saline and other fluids that are important to health care, NPR reported. The company is working to increase manufacturing at its other facilities.
In a company update Wednesday, Baxter CEO José Almeida said, “We will spare no resource — human or financial — to restart operations and help ensure patients and providers have the products they need.”
