BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Hospitals are rationing intravenous (IV) fluids in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Flooding from the Category Four hurricane damaged an IV fluid manufacturing facility in North Carolina, and it’s having an impact all the way up in the Midwest.
IV fluid: it might not look like much, but the clear liquid is a life-saver for so many people. It keeps them hydrated in situations where they might not be able to drink water and can be used to administer medications.
For weeks, Baxter International has been cleaning up its North Cove manufacturing site in North Carolina. Because of flooding from Hurricane Helene, the plant stopped making IV fluids. Hospitals everywhere are feeling the impact, so much so that the U.S. Health and Human Services invoked the Defense Production Act to help address the shortage…