Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.argenpress.info/2009/08/argentina-aumento-la-mortalidad-materna.html
Thursday August 6, 2009
Argentina: Increasing maternal mortality by influenza A
Vazquez Medardo Avila (Special ARGENPRESS.info)
Influenza A (H1N1) is a form of influenza-like illness, caused by a novel virus, which emerged a few months ago in United States and Mexico. Is a new disease, and doctors are discovering, at the moment, the way it is, what affects most population groups, what is its evolution, the degree of lethality, and other issues.
In the northern countries, people who needed hospitalization were 30 percent with asthma, diabetes by 17 percent, 12 percent immunocompromised, but also attacked many young and healthy individuals, and many of the fatalities were in this group of people . In these countries, the epidemic gave fast, mainly because of its seasonal nature, in June and July, the presence of the virus was found in influenza epidemics that we suffer in the South American and Australia, where there were hundreds of deaths with severe pneumonia.
H1N1 virus epidemic in Argentina surprised to seriously affect pregnant women and puerperal women. Among them there were the first fatalities. This feature not highlighted in the case series and Mexican Americans and only now is it mentioned in epidemiological reports.
Only when the serious situation experienced by pregnant women with schedules flu transpired in the media, it was learned that there are dozens of cases of pregnant inmates with severe pneumonia. Apparently there are 12 maternal deaths from pneumonia occurred in the last four weeks and should be confirmed two more cases that amount to 14 maternal deaths from pneumonia.
Obviously, these pneumonias are triggered by infection with influenza A (H1N1). The relationship with this epidemic is inevitable.
In the last five years there were six maternal deaths from pneumonia, two last year, two in 2007 and only two in the remaining three years. In the year of the influenza A is in the first half of the epidemic, 14 maternal deaths from pneumonia in the province. A real health tragedy.
Maternal mortality is the most terrible, the death of a mother impacts the core of the social organization of our civilization. The whole family is in serious danger of disappearing with the death of the mother. In 2008 there were eight maternal deaths in the city of Cordova, apparently would have reached the provincial total to 21 deaths and only two for pneumonia. Today, through the end of July, there were only 14 deaths from pneumonia.
The most worrying situation is that this form of attack of H1N1 virus in the population is not known, or has not been seriously assessed the magnitude of the havoc it is causing in pregnant or puerperal women.
Doctors continue to manage these patients when they have flu symptoms, like a table banal: that happened to Deborah G., who then consulted twice on the health center and receive only antit?rmicos, died in the Provincial Maternity Like his son seven months of gestation. Or Carla B., who consulted several times in a private sanatorium in the city and came late when the Rawson Hospital, joined immediately respirator and still is torn between life and death. He had lost a pregnancy three months ago just 60 days.
It must be clear that a woman of childbearing age, pregnant or who was in the last year, if you have cough and fever is very high risk, should be medicated with oseltamivir, and internal control or reliably. It is unclear whether the antiviral will be effective in these cases ... there is no data, this is totally new, but is all that exists. At least, it could reduce the duration of illness in a day, which is what we were able to demonstrate controlled studies.
In addition, influenza A did not, did not finish and it is not trivial. The channel, which recorded epidemical Epidemiology Center City in recent years, shows cases from May to October, with two peaks: the first in June / July and the second in early September.
It is very likely that the influenza A (H1N1) also recrudezca within 30 days. Can not wait 14 more maternal deaths. We must assume that this disease is not as seasonal influenza, that our population is evolving epidemic in full, it will learn that the whole world, but it is essential to protect the population group that is more unprotected against this threat.
We need to alert the population and to stress the health team. We can not cover this. Like it or not, mothers are dying from influenza A and must work to reduce their mortality.
Medardo Avila V?zquez Medico, former undersecretary of Health, the city of Cordova.
Thursday August 6, 2009
Argentina: Increasing maternal mortality by influenza A
Vazquez Medardo Avila (Special ARGENPRESS.info)
Influenza A (H1N1) is a form of influenza-like illness, caused by a novel virus, which emerged a few months ago in United States and Mexico. Is a new disease, and doctors are discovering, at the moment, the way it is, what affects most population groups, what is its evolution, the degree of lethality, and other issues.
In the northern countries, people who needed hospitalization were 30 percent with asthma, diabetes by 17 percent, 12 percent immunocompromised, but also attacked many young and healthy individuals, and many of the fatalities were in this group of people . In these countries, the epidemic gave fast, mainly because of its seasonal nature, in June and July, the presence of the virus was found in influenza epidemics that we suffer in the South American and Australia, where there were hundreds of deaths with severe pneumonia.
H1N1 virus epidemic in Argentina surprised to seriously affect pregnant women and puerperal women. Among them there were the first fatalities. This feature not highlighted in the case series and Mexican Americans and only now is it mentioned in epidemiological reports.
Only when the serious situation experienced by pregnant women with schedules flu transpired in the media, it was learned that there are dozens of cases of pregnant inmates with severe pneumonia. Apparently there are 12 maternal deaths from pneumonia occurred in the last four weeks and should be confirmed two more cases that amount to 14 maternal deaths from pneumonia.
Obviously, these pneumonias are triggered by infection with influenza A (H1N1). The relationship with this epidemic is inevitable.
In the last five years there were six maternal deaths from pneumonia, two last year, two in 2007 and only two in the remaining three years. In the year of the influenza A is in the first half of the epidemic, 14 maternal deaths from pneumonia in the province. A real health tragedy.
Maternal mortality is the most terrible, the death of a mother impacts the core of the social organization of our civilization. The whole family is in serious danger of disappearing with the death of the mother. In 2008 there were eight maternal deaths in the city of Cordova, apparently would have reached the provincial total to 21 deaths and only two for pneumonia. Today, through the end of July, there were only 14 deaths from pneumonia.
The most worrying situation is that this form of attack of H1N1 virus in the population is not known, or has not been seriously assessed the magnitude of the havoc it is causing in pregnant or puerperal women.
Doctors continue to manage these patients when they have flu symptoms, like a table banal: that happened to Deborah G., who then consulted twice on the health center and receive only antit?rmicos, died in the Provincial Maternity Like his son seven months of gestation. Or Carla B., who consulted several times in a private sanatorium in the city and came late when the Rawson Hospital, joined immediately respirator and still is torn between life and death. He had lost a pregnancy three months ago just 60 days.
It must be clear that a woman of childbearing age, pregnant or who was in the last year, if you have cough and fever is very high risk, should be medicated with oseltamivir, and internal control or reliably. It is unclear whether the antiviral will be effective in these cases ... there is no data, this is totally new, but is all that exists. At least, it could reduce the duration of illness in a day, which is what we were able to demonstrate controlled studies.
In addition, influenza A did not, did not finish and it is not trivial. The channel, which recorded epidemical Epidemiology Center City in recent years, shows cases from May to October, with two peaks: the first in June / July and the second in early September.
It is very likely that the influenza A (H1N1) also recrudezca within 30 days. Can not wait 14 more maternal deaths. We must assume that this disease is not as seasonal influenza, that our population is evolving epidemic in full, it will learn that the whole world, but it is essential to protect the population group that is more unprotected against this threat.
We need to alert the population and to stress the health team. We can not cover this. Like it or not, mothers are dying from influenza A and must work to reduce their mortality.
Medardo Avila V?zquez Medico, former undersecretary of Health, the city of Cordova.