Ohio EMS Agencies Report Saline Shortages

Ohio (FOX8) - The Ohio Division of EMS said early results of a survey show about 148 EMS agencies across the state are experiencing a shortage of saline solution often used in IV bags.
The division said about 43% of the 346 EMS agencies who responded to their survey reported to be impacted by the nationwide saline fluid shortage.
The fluid is primarily manufactured by a company located in Puerto Rico where production was disrupted for months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island and knocked out nearly the entire electrical grid.
Parma Fire Department has not felt the impacts of the shortage, but is preparing for it anyway.
“In the prehospital field we use a lot of saline solution for our patients. It provides both a drug access route to keep a vein open; it also provides a volume replacement should people become injured or sick,” explained TJ Martin, the public information officer with Parma Fire Department.
Paramedics are using even more of the solution right now as the area is experiencing an abnormally intense flu season. Read more...

Source: JEMS Operations - January 24, 2018 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Adrienne DiPiazza, Fox8 Tags: News Videos Operations Source Type: news