12 yo dies - did not attend Hospital

[Commonground]

Western Australia: 12-year-old swine flu patient dies

August 04, 2009

A 12-year-old boy is the sixth Western Australian to die with swine flu.

The WA health department says the boy died at home on Sunday and the state coroner is investigating.

It did not say whether he had any underlying medical problems.

Also today, the health department reported for the first time the deaths of two more people who had been carrying the swine flu virus - a 92-year-old man on July 18 and a 46-year-old man on July 29.

A spokeswoman for the health department said results from samples taken during autopsies on the pair only now confirmed that both had the swine flu virus.

The health department said in a statement the 92-year-old, who had underlying medical conditions, died at home.

It said the 46-year-old, who died at the Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital in Perth's southeast, also had underlying medical conditions.

WA chief health officer Tarun Weeramanthri said in the statement that people in vulnerable groups were at greatest risk of suffering complications.
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[Commonground]

Re: 12 yo dies - did not attend Hospital

Western Australia: Perth boy, 12, dies after swine flu diagnosis

Excerpt:


Health Minister Kim Hames said he believed the 12-year-old boy who died with swine flu did not attend hospital. The boy was the first WA child with swine flu to die.

?There will be a post mortem on that child so I can?t make any further comment other than to offer our sadness and sympathy to the parents,? Dr Hames said.

?He had an underlying medical condition but not one that would relate in any way to an early death, so it would seem that swine flu has been responsible for his death unless he had some pre-existing condition that was undiagnosed.?

 

[Shiloh]

Re: 12 yo dies - did not attend Hospital

Source: http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,25882046-5017008,00.html


Perth boy, 12, dies after swine flu diagnosis
Article from: PerthNow

August 04, 2009 05:00pm

THE WA Coroner is investigating the death of a 12-year-old boy - diagnosed with swine flu - who died on he weekend.

The WA Health Department said the boy died at home on Sunday.

A department spokesman has also confirmed the deaths of two other West Australian swine flu sufferers.

A 92-year-old man with significant underlying medical conditions died on July 18 and and a 46-year-old died in hospital on July 28.

There are currently 24 West Australians with human swine flu in WA hospitals, including 12 in intensive care wards.

More than 2000 people have been diagnosed with human swine flu in WA since the outbreak began.

Health Minister Kim Hames said he believed the 12-year-old boy who died with swine flu did not attend hospital. The boy was the first WA child with swine flu to die.

?There will be a post mortem on that child so I can?t make any further comment other than to offer our sadness and sympathy to the parents,? Dr Hames said.

?He had an underlying medical condition but not one that would relate in any way to an early death, so it would seem that swine flu has been responsible for his death unless he had some pre-existing condition that was undiagnosed.?

Dr Hames said since the swine flu outbreak there had been an 11 per cent rise in emergency department presentations.

However, the number of patients being admitted into hospital had not changed indicating many people were attending the emergency department unnecessarily.

Dr Hames said in the next two weeks WA would reach its peak of swine flu cases.

He said that WA hospitals were well prepared to handle a predicted rise in patient demand despite warnings today by the Australian Medical Association that hospitals were near "meltdown".

"We've got every bed available open. We've got all of the staff available working to make sure those beds stay open," Dr Hames said.

"There's is always a boost (in patient numbers) in winter.

"We have more beds opened than under the previous government at the same time last year - not a large number, about an extra 25 beds.

"We're doing everything possible with the space available."

WA chief health officer Tarun Weeramanthri cautioned that those in vulnerable groups were at higher risk of suffering complications, even though human swine flu remained a mild illness for most people.

?We are focusing our attention on those in the community who may be at risk of severe illness and targeting people with underlying conditions for testing, treatment and care,? he said.

This may include pregnant women and people with underlying conditions.

?These people are urged to seek medical attention if they have acute respiratory symptoms,? Dr Weeramanthri said.

For more information on swine flu visit the Department of Health website www.health.wa.gov.au or call the national swine flu hotline 180 2007.

 

[GennieF]

Re: 12 yo dies - did not attend Hospital

Swine flu claims boy, 12
Debbie Guest | August 05, 2009

A WEST Australian boy aged 12, with no apparent underlying medical condition, has become the latest person to die with swine flu.

An ambulance was called to the boy's home and he was rushed to hospital, but it is believed he had already died at home.

West Australian chief health officer Tarun Weeramanthri said yesterday the boy had no "classic underlying symptoms" but his presentation was not typical and there were "complicating factors".

Dr Weeramanthri said the Coroner was investigating.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25884565-23289,00.html