Much of Southeast America has taken some hard hits from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Both of these disasters happened in very close succession to one another, barely more than two weeks apart. In fact, Milton hit right as many people were still recovering from the devastation of Helene.

Loss of life and power outages, along with destroyed homes and businesses, each followed in the aftermath of both hurricanes. In many cases, coverage from insurance companies is limited, leaving myriad folks in a bind and forced to rebuild from essentially nothing.

Throughout the streets of North Carolina and Florida, debris pile-ups and other remnants from both Helene and Milton await cleanup. Though a lesser known problem that's having some real-life ramifications is IV fluid shortages across various hospitals.

A major disruption to medical care in the United States

IV fluids are critical for combating dehydration, assisting persons undergoing surgery, and otherwise tending to injured or ill individuals. Unfortunately, this work is getting more challenging, thanks to the flooding of various processing facilities.

In Marion, North Carolina, a Baxter manufacturing plant was ruined by the intense waters of Helene. As it turns out, this factory generates most of America's IV fluids. Hospitals, in particular, rely upon Baxter for dialysis and hydration solutions. As a result of the flooded plant, medical care centers are now having to make their current supplies last longer.

This means reducing the use of IV bags and temporarily halting non-essential surgeries. Adding to the chaos is uncertainty about when Baxter will be up and running again. So far, shortages are expected to persist through December. However, IV fluid deficits could potentially last even into 2025.

Assistance from other nations with combatting IV fluid deficits

Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) greenlit IV fluid imports from Canada, Britain, Ireland, and China. These arrivals will lessen the blow of flooding at Baxton; though the need for supplies continues to climb.

Even before Hurricanes Helene and Milton arrived, the US medical supply chain was dealing with shortages. Generic sterile injectable medicines, along with chemotherapy pharmaceuticals, have taken some of the hardest hits.