Local Hospital Manages Through IV Shortage

Wisconsin healthcare providers say they’ve had to ration IV fluids due to damage caused by Hurricane Helene weeks ago. According to health officials, a number of hospitals used IV fluids that were manufactured in a North Carolina plant that suffered severe damage in the storm. Lyle Kratochwill is the Director of Emergency Preparedness Program at the Richland Hospital.

IV solutions are used for a number of reasons.

Kratochwill says he believes every hospital across the country has been affected. Without reliable access to the IV fluids, hospitals have started to manage their supplies more closely and in some cases consider whether a patient really does need IV fluids.

So far, hospital systems have managed to keep up with patient needs with less supply, and patients have not been adversely affected.

According to Kratochwill, Baxter is working to get back up and running as soon as possible.

The Richland Hospital will continue to be cautious in its usage of IV solutions at this time.

Lyle Kratochwill said the Richland Hospital is always planning ahead to mitigate situations that may arise.