Drugs Vital for Ventilator Patients Are Also Running Low in U.S.

Demand for drugs given to patients on ventilators is outstripping supply, according to Vizient Inc., a pharmaceutical-purchasing group that works with more than half of U.S. hospitals and health systems.

Hospital orders for sedatives, analgesics and neuromuscular blockers increased 58% overall in March compared with January, Vizient said. Those medicines are used to prevent movement, manage pain and soothe patients who can’t breathe without the assistance of a machine.