(KTRK/Christine Dobbyn) — Hospitals across the country are dealing with a critical shortage that’s forcing changes in their operations. The shortage is affecting medication in neo-natal intensive care units. So what is causing it, and how doctors are searching for solutions?
In the neonatal intensive care unit at Texas Children’s Hospital, preemie babies like are given special intravenous nutrition. “This is a typical intravenous nutrition bag, and it has in it the sugar and the protein and the minerals and the vitamins that the baby needs,” Texas Children’s Hospital Dr. Steven Abrams said.
The bags are made specifically for each baby every day in the hospital pharmacy. “The issue came as a surprise to many of us,” Dr. Abrams said. But it’s become a serious challenge for doctors today. “It’s a critical problem for hospitals throughout the country,” Dr. Abrams said. They’re stretching each and every dose because hospitals have been hit with shortages in anesthesia and chemo treatments too; in some cases, hospitals are sharing supplies. (See full story at Ch 13 News)
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