Ken Schaff, regional ASC administrator at HCA Surgery Ventures, is facing an unexpected benefit amid the ongoing IV fluid shortages: a decrease in patient volumes for October.
While the decline in procedures is typically a cause for concern, the current situation has helped the center manage its dwindling fluid supplies.
"If our volume were to increase significantly, we might surpass our weekly allocations and have to dip into our limited supplies, which could cause panic," he told Becker's.
Many ASCs are encountering difficulties in obtaining IV fluids following the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, which damaged a Baxter facility in Marion, N.C., responsible for producing 60% of the country's IV fluid supply.
This concern is particularly pressing for ASCs because they are major users of IV fluids for a variety of procedures, particularly in orthopedic surgeries, Mr. Schaff added. Unlike hospitals, where IV fluids are predominantly used in critical care settings for hydration and medication administration, ASCs require large quantities of fluids for surgical cases.
"Most of these procedures are now done in ASCs instead of hospitals, where we can use thousands of bags of fluid per case," he said. "The hospitals typically use fluids more for IVs, especially in critical care settings. In outpatient settings, we don't have the same critical needs, as our patients are generally healthy."
The fluid shortage remains a challenge, Mr. Schaff told Becker's. His team has had to carefully manage its weekly allocations to ensure that its supply can meet the demands of upcoming surgeries.
The long-term implications of supply chain disruptions loom large for ASCs, which typically do not have the stockpiles of supplies that large hospital systems can fall back on.