Several plants that sterilize essential surgical tools with ethylene oxide have shut down, leaving hospitals vulnerable to supply shortages, CBS News reports.
Three things to know:
1. The FDA notified medical professionals on Oct. 25 that they could soon face years of supply shortages affecting heart surgery, knee replacements, C-sections and other procedures as a result of the recent closures.
2. State and federal environmental laws have increasingly targeted factories emitting ethylene oxide because exposure to high levels can cause cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health. The gas is used to sterilize about half of all sterilized medical devices in the U.S., particularly those made from plastic, metal or glass, the FDA said.
3. Next month, the FDA will meet to discuss new sterilization techniques for affected devices and could help identify alternative devices to use in the meantime. Hospitals should inventory their supplies and alert authorities if they face major shortages, the agency said.