Medical supply chains disrupted during Hurricane Helene in late September are still sending out waves through health care agencies across the country and in North Idaho. 

Hospitals in Kootenai County are working to conserve their store of IV fluids after Baxter International factory in North Carolina was flooded. The factory is one of the biggest IV fluid suppliers in the country, according to the Food and Drug Administration. 

Heritage Health officials reported that health care operations have not been affected by the national shortage, but Kootenai Health has needed to implement changes to how frequently they administer IV fluids to patients. 

Kootenai Health spokesperson Kim Anderson stated that conservation efforts are being implemented by staff, but “we have had no interruptions of elective procedures and have been able to maintain the highest quality and safety of care through this shortage.” 

IV fluids are used for certain surgical and medical procedures, like dialysis, and are primarily used to treat or prevent dehydration or restore fluid volume to the right balance of electrolytes and sugars in the blood. They can also be used as a means to administer certain medications.  

“In response to the national IV fluid shortage, Kootenai Health has implemented weekly incident command meetings to address conservation efforts and supply challenges, which are anticipated to last until the end of 2024,” Anderson said. 

Some of the conservation methods Kootenai Health has put into practice include acceptable substitutions for items in short supply, giving certain medications through injections rather than IV saline drips and asking patients able to drink fluids to use oral hydration instead of using IV fluids. 

Anderson said that due to staff’s “judicious use of supplies and conservation efforts” Kootenai Health, Clearwater Valley Health, and St. Mary’s Health have been able to maintain continuity of operations.

Shoshone Medical Center CEO Paul Lewis said that the hospital has noted a decrease in the availability of some IV fluids, but they still have a steady supply in reserve.    

“We have developed backup protocols that will allow us to continue to provide needed medication safely to each of our patients if we do experience any serious shortages,” Lewis said. 

According to the Northern Idaho Healthcare Coalition, the FDA sent out suggested methods to maintain reserves during the shortage. 

So far, information shared among providers in the 10 counties in North Idaho has shown that there hasn’t been a need to delay surgeries because of a decreased supply of fluids for IVs.   

As emergency management coordinator for the coalition, Nick Mechikoff said during normal times when there are no shortages, the organization focuses improving acute health care in the area.

The coalition’s primary work is through trainings and exercises and information sharing while working with hospitals, long-term care, surgical centers and EMS.   

“When something comes up like this, then we do it through information coordination and information sharing,” Mechikoff said. “A couple of weeks ago when this first started being a problem I sent out a survey to all the partners on where they stood with various IV fluids.” 

The coalition can help open communications between health care providers to either pay for extra supplies when needed or arrange to borrow and repay a set number of supplies when the supply stabilizes.  

Some health providers in the area are using FDA-approved methods to break up larger fluid supplies into smaller amounts so that more patients can receive fluids, even if it’s less than the usually prescribed amount. 

“It’s been really tough because everybody’s in the same boat,” Mechikoff said.