WASHINGTON: Tacoma, 20 year old woman dies of H1N1

[theforeigner]

http://www.komonews.com/news/47111432.html

Young woman with swine flu dies in Pierce County

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - Health officials in Washington state say a second person with a confirmed case of swine flu has died.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said a Pierce County woman in her 20s died Friday after being hospitalized since May 21.

Spokeswoman Pam Cowley says the woman "did have one underlying health condition that put her at higher risk" but adds "we believe she died of complications from swine flu." Cowley declined to discuss the woman's risk factor because of privacy concerns.

[Snicklefritz]

Re: WASHINGTON: Tacoma, 20 year old woman dies of H1N1

Health officials said he had underlying heart conditions and viral pneumonia in addition to swine flu.

(emphasis mine)

Hmmm...I thought viral pneumonia was caused by the influenza virus itself, as opposed to an opportunistic 'bacterial' pneumonia.

[theforeigner]

Re: WASHINGTON: Tacoma, 20 year old woman dies of H1N1

(emphasis mine)

Hmmm...I thought viral pneumonia was caused by the influenza virus itself, as opposed to an opportunistic 'bacterial' pneumonia.

Wherefrom did you get that quote?
It?s not in the newsreport I posted, and it is referening to a "he" and the person refered to in the newsreport, I posted, was a woman.

[hornblower]

Re: WASHINGTON: Tacoma, 20 year old woman dies of H1N1

see last sentence of the story you posted

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: WASHINGTON: Tacoma, 20 year old woman dies of H1N1

Influenza: Case Study #3

Viral Infections Followed by Bacterial Pneumonia

In the clinical course of this syndrome, patients typically report that after beginning to feel better, they experienced a return of symptoms, a worsening of cough. and production of purulent sputum. When this occurs, one should identify the responsible bacterial pathogen (pneumococcus, Staphylococcus, and Hemophilus influenzae are common causes) and initiate appropriate antibiotic therapy promptly.

This syndrome's pathophysiology is relatively simple. Following flu-induced destruction of the epithelium, the tracheal toilet is severely compromised, and bacteria are retained in the lower respiratory tract. Bacterial seeding of the injured respiratory tract, however, is not the only factor in post-influenza bacterial pneumonia. Gareth Green, of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, has shown that the phagocytic function of alveolar macrophages is severely compromised after the flu. Thus, not only are bacteria more likely to get into the lungs, but the host is less capable of destroying them.

Influenza Viral Pneumonia

The clinical course of influenza viral pneumonia progresses rapidly. It can lead to hypoxemia and death within a few days of onset. Understanding the pathophysiology of this disease is aided by review of microscopic anatomy. Figure 3 shows schematically that two very thin cells, the alveolar epithelial cell and the capillary endothelial cell, maintain a tenuous interface between gas in the alveolar airspace and fluid in the capillary lumen. If the influenza virus destroys alveolar epithelial cells, plasma leaks from the capillary, filling the airspace. If enough alveoli are involved, patients drown in their own plasma. This is especially true of patients with increased pulmonary capillary pressure (e.g., those with mitral stenosis), because destruction of alveolar epithelial cells will lead to greater extravasation of plasma and more pulmonary edema than in otherwise healthy people.

http://www.cme.ufl.edu/media/flu/viral.html

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: WASHINGTON: Tacoma, 20 year old woman dies of H1N1

Perhaps the last sentence in the story should have ended....."Health officials said he had underlying heart conditions and the swine flu had progressed to influenza viral pneumonia."

.

[theforeigner]

Re: WASHINGTON: Tacoma, 20 year old woman dies of H1N1

see last sentence of the story you posted

Right, sorry