Florida IV Fluid Factory Survives Hurricane Milton Unharmed

B. Braun Medical Inc. announced Thursday that its factory in Daytona Beach, Florida, remains undamaged following Hurricane Milton's sweep through the region. This facility, crucial for supplying IV fluids to hospitals across the nation, was shut down Wednesday and is set to restart operations on Friday. The site plays a key role in compensating for supply disruption after Hurricane Helene led to the closure of Baxter International's North Carolina plant, a major supplier of the US's IV fluid needs.

Baxter International had reduced customer orders to manage the tight supply after the North Carolina plant shutdown, pushing health systems to conserve fluids and delay non-emergency surgeries. However, Baxter has since increased production at alternative facilities and plans to phase production back at the North Carolina site by year-end. The company is also collaborating with federal agencies to import products temporarily, aiming to relax certain limitations on IV solution orders by the close of this year.

Meanwhile, B. Braun's proactive measures include collaboration with federal officials to safeguard and transport IV bags out of hurricane risk zones. Further, it is boosting production at its Irvine, California, location to alleviate the current supply constraints. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)