URMC pauses some elective surgeries over nationwide IV fluid shortages

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The University of Rochester Medical Center is pausing some elective and semi-elective surgeries over IV fluid shortages caused by Hurricane Helene.

URMC says those surgeries will be paused starting Wednesday. As News10NBC has reported, hospitals nationwide have gotten fewer shipments of IV fluids after the hurricane disrupted manufacturing at the North Carolina facility of Baxter International, Inc. That company produces 60% of IV and other medical fluids for hospitals across the country. 

Because of the shortage, the federal government has approved the use of fluids from international suppliers. URMC says it’s working to increase IV fluid supplies from multiple vendors. According to medical center leaders, the pause on elective surgeries will help to expand the reserves of IV fluids in case of emergencies.

Patients will be contacted directly if their surgery needs to be postponed. There is no need to contact your surgeon’s office. URMC says procedures that require little or no IV fluids will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to see if they will go as scheduled.

URMC says the rate of incoming supply of IV fluids doesn’t match the rate at which they’re used. The medical center has worked to lower the use of IV fluids because of the shortage.