IV fluid shortage impacts felt in North Idaho
Registered nurse Derrick Schenk provides fluids to an emergency department patient at Kootenai Health with a syringe.
Photo courtesy of Kootenai Health
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.
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