Some Toronto-area hospitals are reporting a shortage of epidural tubes amid ongoing global supply issues.
William Osler Health System confirmed Tuesday that they were experiencing a shortage to CTV News Toronto in a statement and said they are “working closely with providers and government partners to secure inventory.”
The hospital network says it has developed an “epidural catheter supply” strategy to meet patient needs in the meantime.
An epidural tube, or catheter, is a thin piece of plastic that is used to pierce the epidural space in a patient’s spine to administer pain medication during labor. An ongoing global shortage of the devices hit Canada in late July, initially affecting western provinces more severely, according to the Canadian Society of Anesthesiologists (CAS).
The William Osler Health System is comprised of three hospitals in Toronto: Brampton Civic Hospital, Etobicoke General Hospital and Peel Memorial Hospital.
Lakeridge Health, a network of five hospitals in Durham Region, also told CTV News Toronto that they are facing a “potential shortage” of epidural catheters related to supply chain issues in North America.
“While we have an adequate supply of epidural catheters in the short term, we are working with our partners at Ontario Health and the Ministry of Health who are actively collaborating with Health Canada, suppliers, distributors and manufacturers across Ontario to understand the ‘current. the supply situation and forecast,’ said Lakeridge Communications Director Julie Dowdie.
When reached for comment, other hospitals, including Sunnybrook Hospital, Michael Garron Hospital, University Health Network, North York General Hospital and Women’s University Hospital, they said their patients were not currently affected.
However, each institution said they are “closely monitoring the situation”.
The Ontario Ministry of Health told CTV News Toronto that they are aware that some Canadian provinces have experienced shortages of epidurals, but said, at this time, “Ontario has an adequate supply of epidural catheters and women can access epidurals for childbirth”.
Although the province currently has a sufficient supply, the Ministry of Health said they are monitoring the inventory to assess the need to redistribute epidural catheters.
“Hospitals will receive instructions on how to assess and report on current inventory in the coming days.”
CAS president and vice-president Dr. Dolores McKeen and Dr. Lucie Filteau told CTV News in a joint statement that they had recently been informed of “a very low supply of epidural catheters across Canada.”
McKeen and Filteau say manufacturers have cited supply chain issues as the reason for the shortage.
“Some companies have estimated that supply will improve significantly in September, but it is still uncertain that epidural catheters will be available in all healthcare settings,” they said.
According to CAS, on average, about 50 to 60 percent of pregnant women in Canada opt for an epidural when they’re in labor.
The society is encouraging patients to discuss pain management options with their healthcare provider “to establish the most appropriate plan, based on their individual circumstances and product availability.”