Hospitals' IV fluid shortage may impact surgeries for weeks

Surgery schedules around the country may be washed out for several more weeks while a crucial IV and sterile fluids factory remains shut down for hurricane-related damage.

People often plan non-emergency surgeries in the fall and early-winter months when their insurance coverage will pick up more of the bill, but they may have to wait while health systems preserve supplies for emergencies.

The federal government and medical suppliers have taken several steps to help ease the supply crunch created by Hurricane Helene, which forced Baxter International to close its North Carolina plant late last month. 

But experts say supplies are still choppy, and improvements will take time. Here's a closer look the situation.

Baxter's North Cove, North Carolina, location makes about 60% of the intravenous solutions used in the U.S. every day, according to the American Hospital Association.

It also makes fluids used by patients on home dialysis and sterile water used to clean patient surgery sites during operations.

But flooding triggered by the storm washed out bridges nearby and water came into the factory, forcing the shutdown. Baxter says the site sustained no structural damage.