(Reuters) -A shortage of intravenous and injectable saline solutions in the United States has now been resolved, U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner Martin Makary said on Friday.

A shortage of IV fluids, which provide nutrients to the body or replenish fluids lost due to injury or illness, had forced hospitals to curtail elective procedures last year.

The shortage partly stems from Baxter International’s North Carolina plant getting damaged in Hurricane Helene in September.

At that time, the Marion, North Carolina site was producing 60% of the nation’s supply of IV fluids and peritoneal dialysis solutions, amounting to 1.5 million bags daily, according to the American Hospital Association.

Baxter and the FDA did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Germ

See Full Page