Stomach bug outbreak hits Montreal hospitals

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Stomach bug outbreak hits Montreal hospitals

Last Updated: Friday, February 26, 2010 | 3:11 PM ET

CBC News


Seventeen Montreal hospitals and long-term care facilities are dealing with an outbreak of gastroenteritis.

Several of the facilities, including the city's largest hospital, Maisonneuve-Rosemont, have been forced to isolate patients to prevent a further spread of the virus causing the ailment, commonly known as the stomach flu.

Although the virus has also been present in the general public in seasonal form since early February, gastroenteritis is more troubling to treat in people who are already in hospitals, said Dr. Alexandra Kossowski, head of transmittable diseases at Montreal's public health department.

"It's more dangerous for people that are in a hospital because their immune system is weaker," Kossowski said.

"They are more prone to get serious dehydration, and also the fact that they're in a closed area, it spreads more easily."

The virus is usually spread person to person and through contaminated food and objects, Kossowski said.

Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and last on average 48 hours.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/02/26/que-gastro-outbreak-hospitals.html#ixzz0ghFDhIwp

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Re: Stomach bug outbreak hits Montreal hospitals

Gastro outbreak has cascade effect on clinics

Updated: Wed Mar. 10 2010 2:12:06 PM

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Overcrowding at the Lakeshore General Hospital is having a major effect on nearby West Island clinics.

The hospital is dealing with an outbreak of gastroenteritis, and is turning away non-urgent cases.

That caused a crunch Wednesday at the Statcare clinic, across the street from the hospital, which is operating at 35 per cent overcapacity.

Making matters worse is the fact that spring break vacations have limited the number of available doctors at Statcare.

Director Eleanor Mootoosawmy tells CTV's Paul Karwatsky that the situation is sustainable-- for now.

"We had 30 patients when we opened the door and we still keep having patients ? every half hour," she said, adding: "it never ends."

More problems

It's much the same story at the Brunswick clinic not far from Lakeshore hospital, where officials describe the situation as "very dire."

The Brunswick clinic has called in extra doctors and have had to refuse some patients.

Gastro outbreak

Outbreaks of gastroenteritis have led to quarantines at Lakeshore hospital and Cite de la Sante Hospital in Laval.

The stomach virus has forced Lakeshore to limit visitors, and things are even worse at Cite de la Sante which has declared certain areas of the hospital off-limits.

As of last Wednesday, no visitors have been allowed into the Laval complex except for the palliative care area, the maternity ward and intensive care.
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Full text at:

http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100310/mtl_lakeshore_hospital_gastro_100310/20100310/?hub=MontrealHome

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Re: Stomach bug outbreak hits Montreal hospitals

Non-critical cases should avoid LGH ER: officials

Quarantine imposed after Gastro outbreak: Hospital wants to avoid overcrowding

By ALYCIA AMBROZIAK, The GazetteMarch 11, 2010

An outbreak of gastroenteritis caused the Lakeshore General Hospital in Pointe Claire to ask people with non-critical conditions to steer clear of the emergency department in order to avoid an overcrowding situation.

Officials at the Lakeshore General Hospital had hoped operations could have returned to normal earlier this week after a patient outbreak of gastroenteritis, or stomach flu, had forced a patient quarantine last week in three wards.

But late Tuesday afternoon, the West Island Health and Social Services Centre, which runs the Lakeshore, issued a statement asking people to avoid the emergency room for another 24 hours.

The HSSC was expected to issue another report late yesterday afternoon to update the situation.

HSSC officials said the request to avoid the Lakeshore's ER was necessary to avoid critical levels of waiting and overcrowding in the ER.

"The reason for this decision is the unusually high number of patients. The emergency department remains open, but waiting times for non-critical situations may be long," according to the statement.
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Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/critical+cases+should+avoid+officials/2668601/story.html#ixzz0hsl65thB