Hospitals across Long Island and the nation are reporting a spike in the number of flu cases they are seeing. 

Some hospitals say they have seen overcrowded waiting rooms, flu medication shortages and a serious shortage of specific sizes of IV fluid bags. 

Dr. Paul Pipia says Nassau University Medical Center's emergency room, which has 33 bays, saw nearly 100 patients with flu-like symptoms over the weekend. 

"We did what we had to do to decompress the hospital – move patients that can be discharged home and take more patients in the emergency room. Other hospitals in other systems had the same problems," says Dr. Pipia.  

As for IV fluid bags, Dr. Pipia says "we have enough, but we're very tight with it." 

At Syosset Hospital, part of the Northwell Health System, employees who deal directly with patients are given Tamiflu to take, if necessary, as a prevention. It's an anti-viral medication that can ease flu symptoms and lessen the length of time a person is sick.

Pharmacists in other parts of the country are reporting shortages of Tamiflu, but not in Syosset. 

"People who work in the emergency department, they're exposed firsthand to the flu and sometimes they don't even know it until after the patient has already spoken with you and coughed on you," says Dr. Riccardo Benvenuto.

Dr. Pipia says there is still time to get the flu vaccine. He says flu season usually runs through March.