Nationwide IV bag shortage affecting hospitals around the Coachella Valley

The U.S. is facing an intravenous, or IV, bag supply shortage after Hurricane Helene caused disruptions at a manufacturing plant in North Carolina, according to the AP.

Federal officials say flooding caused major impacts at the Baxter International plant, forcing workers to move critical supplies out of the building. Experts also say several batches of IV fluids were damaged and potentially contaminated and had to be discarded. The plant is temporarily shut down and hopes to return to normal production by the end of the year.

U.S. hospitals use over 2 million IV bags daily to keep patients hydrated and deliver medicines. 

Because the Baxter plant is responsible for manufacturing around 60% of the country's supply of sterile fluids, the disruptions are causing a strain on the national supply. Several hospitals around the U.S. are now having to limit their usage, including a hospital in the Coachella Valley. To preserve the current supplies hospitals, including Eisenhower Health, are canceling or postponing elective surgeries.

Elective surgeries are procedures that are not urgent or life-saving. Elective surgeries are almost always planned in advance, unlike emergency surgeries. While they might not be optional, they are not necessary to be done right away.

 Examples of elective surgeries include laser surgery, hernia repair, non-emergent back surgery, colonoscopies, and joint replacements.