Boston

Mass. General Hospital: Hospitals Nationwide Seeing IV Bag Shortage

Hospitals across the nation, including those in Boston, are starting to see a shortage of IV fluid bags partly as a result of Hurricane Maria damage.

The shortage of the small saline bags used to give patients fluids in hospitals is partly due to the severe damage sustained at medical product manufacturing facilities in Puerto Rico following the late September storm that devastated the island, according to officials at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Officials said they expect the shortage to last for at least two more months.

According to Mass. General, hospital leaders are actively monitoring and addressing the situation.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb released a statement last week saying power had been restored to Baxter – a leading producer of IV saline fluids – in Puerto Rico and that things have been improving.

Gottlieb said based on information from Baxter and other companies, the short is expected to improve, with continuing improvements in the weeks ahead.

"We continue to take additional steps to identify other supply sources for saline and encourage companies to submit data to extend expiration dates for these critical drugs," read a statement from Gottlieb.

The New York Times reports that by the end of December 2017, roughly half of all Puerto Ricans were still without power.

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