Hospitals Hit by Nationwide IV Shortage After Largest Manufacturing Plant Is Damaged by Hurricane Helene

After Hurricane Helene damaged one of the largest IV fluid manufacturing plants in the U.S., hospitals around the country are struggling to treat patients.

Helene devastated parts of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and parts of the Appalachian region when it made landfall on Sept. 26, leaving behind damaged hospitals, schools and manufacturing plants like Baxter International manufacturing facility in North Cove, N.C.

The plant, located about an hour east of Asheville, is the largest manufacturer of IV fluid and peritoneal dialysis in the U.S., per the American Medical Association (AMA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It was forced to close due to flooding, the company said in a statement, and on Oct. 11, the FDA added three kinds of IV solutions to its drug shortage database — all of which are produced at Baxter International.

Officials have reported that the plant's closure caused major supply disruptions, according to the AP. Some doctors have switched patients to drinking Gatorade or water instead of giving them an IV and hospitals have been forced to delay surgeries.

“It’s not great for patients, but it’s kind of doing the most good with what you have,” Erin Fox, associate chief pharmacy officer at University of Utah Health, told AP.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, IV fluids are most commonly used to treat patients experiencing dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, which can be caused by vomiting and diarrhea, spending too much time in the heat, or serious injuries or burns. They are also used during surgeries, as patients often aren't able to eat or drink water for long periods of time.

"If you turn off the supply of IV fluids to a hospital, it's sort of like turning off the supply of water to your house," Dr. Chris DeRienzo of the American Hospital Association told FOX Weather. "It doesn't take very long for the level of intensity that you need to respond with to rise very, very high."

Despite the struggles for hospitals and doctors, recovery efforts are now underway. The Biden administration invoked the wartime powers of the Defense Production Act to speed up the rebuilding of Baxter International on Oct. 15, CBS News reported, and the AMA said that the company has been importing supplies from five of its international facilities.

"Ensuring people have medical supplies they need is a top priority of the administration. It's exactly why we are working closely with Baxter to support cleanup and restoration of the facility, including invoking the Defense Production Act to help production resume as quickly as possible," an official with the Department of Health and Human Services told CBS News.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

The AP reported that while Baxter doesn't have a set timeline for when it will be able to return to its usual pre-hurricane production levels, employees have returned to work and the company said it wants to restart production by the end of the year.

Employees have completed a deep clean of the facility, power and water have been turned back on and employees are working to test and repair the facility's equipment.

Helene was a Category 4 storm when it made landfall near Perry, Fla., last month. In just a matter of hours, it delivered damaging wind gusts as well as “catastrophic, life-threatening [and] record-breaking” flooding in many areas. The death toll has climbed to 224 people as of Oct. 24.