Denver Health innovating with Gatorade, Pedialyte amidst IV fluid shortage

DENVER — More than a month after Hurricane Helene slammed into the east coast, Colorado hospitals are continuing to feel the impact.

A Baxter manufacturing plant in North Carolina was badly damaged in the storm, cutting off supply for an estimated 60 to 70% of the nation’s IV fluid production.

“We get almost entirely all of our supply from Baxter’s plant in North Carolina,” said Dr. Anuj Mehta, Denver Health physician.

Mehta says his team started brainstorming just days after the hurricane hit about ways to conserve supply of IV fluids and IV medications.

In addition to oral medications and oral hydration with water, Mehta says they’ve started giving some patients Gatorade and Pedialyte to replace IV fluids.

Patients who need IV fluids and medications are still being given them. Mehta says there’s been a minimal impact on patients at this point.

“Those conservation strategies have really made a huge impact and essentially doubled our days-on-hand supply, and we’ve seen really minimal impact on patient care,” he said.

Mehta says the shortage speaks to a growing problem nationwide where various medical products are supplied by just a handful of vendors.

He fears future climate disasters could escalate the problem, leading to more conservation strategies.

“It’s a threat. It’s not a threat just to Denver Health, it’s a threat to all of health care,” he said. “I think it really exposes the kind of weak thread that is our supply chain.”

Mehta estimates Denver Health has roughly a month of supply left, and says they’re confident supplies will pick up in the coming weeks.

Denver Health is sharing its conservation strategy with other hospitals in the region, according to Mehta.