An IV fluid plant in North Carolina was hit by floodwaters and another now sits in the path of Hurricane Milton

FTA:

“The Baxter plant in North Carolina, together with a B. Braun plant in Florida, produces about 85% of the nation’s IV fluid supply. The shortage caused by the Baxter plant’s temporary closure has forced hospitals to postpone surgeries as a desperate measure to ration supplies for patients in the most critical condition.”

    • Zachariah@lemmy.world
      191·
      2 months ago

      You can pick efficiency or redundancy. For some reason efficiency became holy in this country.

    • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15·
      2 months ago

      Don’t forget that prior to Hurricane Maria in 2017, Puerto Rico produced 43% of the saline used in the US. Not sure whether they rebuilt that infrastructure there or if they shifted production to these places instead… Leaving it all in the path of the same hurricanes for whatever reason.

    • jordanlund@lemmy.worldOP
      10·
      2 months ago

      I know, right? You’d think for something as CRITICALLY important as IV fluids, production and distribution would be regional.

      New England
      SouthEast
      MidWest
      Texas
      NorthWest
      SoCal

      SE gets hit with a hurricane? Ship in from New England and Texas.

      SoCal gets the big one? Ship in from NW and Texas.

      • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
        4·
        2 months ago

        As much of a pseudo nationalist as I am, itd be a safer bet to setup IV fluid production in Arizona instead. Somewhere like Havasu or one of the other Colorado towns.