IV fluid supplies in the US have been disrupted by Hurricane Helene

Hospitals across the US saw their intravenous (IV) fluid supplies dwindle after a plant involved in producing IV solutions for one of the nation’s largest manufacturers went under. flooded due to Hurricane Helene.

The health care and medical technology company, Baxter International, based in North Carolina, produces 1.5 million bags of IV solution per day, according to the American Hospital Association.

The company was forced to halt production after Helene caused flooding in its area.

The death toll from Hurricane Helene – which was later downgraded to a tropical storm – has now reached 217 across six southeastern US states.

In a statement released Friday, Baxter International said: “We are working around the clock to assess the extent of the impact and minimize potential disruption to help ensure patients and providers have the products they need. .”

In Boston, Massachusetts, one hospital is already dealing with supply disruption problems, after being informed that it will only receive 40% of its regular supplies from Baxter International.

Mass General Brigham Hospital responded by conserving its supplies and giving some patients Gatorade or plain water instead of IVs, NBC News reported.

The hospital said it hopes to avoid disruption to patient care and is making emergency plans.

IV fluids are used to deliver medications, fluids or nutrients directly into a person’s vein.

The IV fluid shortage comes as more than 800,000 people remain without power. Most of these people are in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, but some in Florida and Virginia are also affected.

Among the effects of the storm are potential disruptions to early voting.

A judge in South Carolina ruled on Friday that voters will have an additional ten days to register to vote in the wake of flooding and power outages from the storm that devastated parts of the state.

The National Task Force on Electoral Issues also discussed the effects of the storm on access to polling stations for the upcoming presidential election.

Several polling places in North Carolina are closed because of the storm, Anne Tindall, special counsel at Protect Democracy, said during an interview.

He noted that several others have been severely damaged and new sites and consolidation sites will need to take place to ensure the elections go ahead.

Experts agreed that, regardless of what happens to polling stations, the storm will have an impact on volunteers.

Robert Orr, a former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice, predicted that there would be reduced voting “to some extent” in the storm-affected counties.

North Carolina is one of seven US states that are considered important for any presidential nominee to win in November.

Both presidential candidates as well as President Joe Biden have gone to waste places in recent days.

The White House said on Friday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has provided $45m (£34m) in funding for those affected by the hurricane so far.

In a statement, it added that the National Guard has deployed more than 6,700 members of the Army and Air Force from 16 states to help with the ground response.

The president has also sent 1,000 active troops to help with the relief effort.

Earlier in the week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that if another hurricane hits the US in the coming months, Fema will struggle to provide aid.

“We expect another typhoon to hit…. The firm has no money to make it through this season,” Mr Mayorkas told reporters earlier in the week.

The US government has sent more than 8.8 million meals, more than 7.4 million liters of water, 150 generators and more than 225,000 tarps to the area, said Mr. Mayorkas.