This has been running tonight on my local news. IV supplies are running low. Hospitals are taking steps to ensure supplies last. Using pills instead of fluids in some situations.
Turns out IV supplies are manufactured in Puerto Rico. Production won’t be fully restored until mid 2018.
It’s certainly nothing to panic over. The hospitals still have a limited supply. You may want to inquire about the implications, if you are considering elective surgery.
Some news sources are only reporting shortages of saline bags.
Arkansas has shortages of all IV supplies. They order from national suppliers. The problem must be nationwide.
My local TV news didn’t state the problem quite this emphatically. There’s no need to frighten people.