Sen. Klobuchar urges action on IV solutions shortage as hurricanes disrupt manufacturing

IV bag shortage possibility after Hurricane Helene

Minnesota hospitals are preparing for a possible IV fluid shortage after Hurricane Helene force medical supply manufacturer, Baxter International, to close. FOX 9's Mike Manzoni has the latest.

(FOX 9) - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is asking federal administrators to address the shortage of IV solutions as Hurricane Milton could potentially impact a facility in Florida following Hurricane Helene's damage to the country's largest manufacturing facility in North Carolina.

Background

Minnesota hospitals have been preparing for a possible IV fluid shortage after Hurricane Helene forced a medical supply manufacturer to close its North Carolina plant. Baxter International's plant is the largest manufacturing facility for IV solutions in the United States, and it's currently nonoperational due to flooding and damage sustained during the devastating hurricane.

Surgeries canceled due to IV fluid shortage concerns

Twin Cities hospitals are canceling some surgeries after Hurricane Helene due to concerns about an IV fluid shortage. FOX 9's Mike Manzoni has more.

Hospitals in the Twin Cities have been preparing for the potential shortage by reviewing inventory, seeking out additional IV bags, and prioritizing essential usage. Allina Health and M Health Fairview recently announced that some surgeries would be canceled to conserve the limited stock.

Sen. Klobuchar is concerned that Hurricane Milton could impact the operations at another IV solutions plant in Daytona, Florida, further exacerbating the potential shortage.

What they're saying

"It is a potentially life-threatening problem, obviously, when there is one place where 60 percent of the IV fluid comes from," Sen. Amy Klobuchar, told FOX 9 in an interview Tuesday. "You are going to have a problem. Someone’s going to run out of IV fluid," she warned. "They’re going to be running around town looking for it."

Letter to HHS

Sen. Amy Klobuchar wrote a letter to Xavier Becerra, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, to address the potential "life-threatening shortage of IV solutions" due to the recent hurricanes. The full letter can be read below.