How national IV shortages affect Mesa County hospitals

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - Hospitals across the United States dealt with IV fluid shortages as a result of the East Coast Hurricanes.

According to the Chief Medical Officer for the Community Hospital, Dr. Thomas Tobin, one of the country's main suppliers, responsible for 60% of IV fluid distribution, is in North Carolina.

"We were contacted shortly after the first hurricane hit Florida," he said. "It didn't damage the building but it shut down their ability to manufacture IV fluids."

This resulted in a decrease in supply.

"We went from getting our normal 100% of what we needed down to 40% of what our normal shipments would be," said Tobin.

Fortunately, this change has not caused a lot of change in hospital operations, as staff acted quickly after receiving the message.

"We took a very aggressive approach to conservation from day one, and we've been able to mitigate any impact on our patients, said Tobin. "We have not had to delay or cancel any surgeries or treatments."

Tobin said the situation is already starting to look better, and he doesn't anticipate any negative changes.

"Allocation now has gone up to 60% in most cases for most of the IV fluids, I think with a little bit of continued luck and a lot of effort, I think we'll navigate this without having any patient impact," he said.

Limitations are estimated to last throughout the rest of 2024. According to Dr. Tobin, Community Hospital has begun to collect supplies from European markets until their normal supply is up and running once again.