JimO
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Source: http://www.hidesertstar.com/articles/2009/11/21/news/doc4b078aa7a3c45737615755.txt
Hospital reports H1N1 death
Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009 1:14 AM CST
JOSHUA TREE ? A patient at the Hi-Desert Medical Center died from the H1N1 virus Thursday, hospital staff have confirmed. Staff at the hospital say the patient was a young adult male. His is the first recorded death in the Hi-Desert believed to be caused by H1N1, commonly referred to as ?swine flu,? although the San Bernardino County Department of Health has not been available to confirm the death as H1N1-related. The health department has confirmed 24 deaths within the county this year.
Joe Ruddon, director of marketing and business development at HDMC, said the hospital received a limited amount of the H1N1 vaccine this month, which was reserved for medical staff.
?We?re trying to get the vaccine for our employees; it?s really important that we get our frontline staff inoculated first,? Ruddon said Thursday.
Health department officials have said vaccinations will be limited to groups who are most at-risk, including pregnant women, people living with or caring for infants younger than 6 months old, anyone 6 months to 24 years old, people ages 25 to 64 with certain chronic medical conditions or weakened immune systems, and health care personnel.
Swine flu symptoms more severe
Director of the hospital?s medical-surgery intensive care unity, Marge Doyle, said the H1N1 virus causes symptoms similar to the regular seasonal flu, but can be differentiated with a few common characteristics.
?If you have a fever that doesn?t respond and/or you?re getting dehydrated and experiencing diarrhea or vomiting, feeling tired or listless and having trouble breathing ? those are the symptoms that we look for,? she noted.
She also said those who are experiencing flu-like symptoms should avoid the hospital unless their symptoms are severe and unresponsive to treatment, or they are having difficulty breathing.
So far, under recommendation from the county, the hospital has only been testing for H1N1 in patients whose sickness is severe enough for them to be admitted.
HDMC staff says the type of testing they do onsite can be somewhat ineffective.
?The tests can produce a lot of false negatives and false positives,? Ruddon noted.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, a specific test is needed to tell if an illness is caused by a specific influenza strain or by some other virus.
?This test is different from rapid flu tests that doctors can do in their offices,? a CDC notice states.
?It takes one to two weeks to confirm the presence of H1N1,? said Kathy Alkire of the Joshua Tree hospital.
Because of the lengthy confirmation process, medical staff must treat a suspected H1N1 patient in the same manner as they would with any other flu strain.
?It?s all about symptom management,? Alkire added.
She also said many patients are able to recover at home without receiving the Tamiflu treatment.
Those who have already been sick with a flu-like illness since spring of 2009 are still encouraged to get an H1N1 vaccine if they fall into one of the at-risk categories.
This time, young are more at risk
Nationwide, patients 65 years and older made up the smallest percentage of individuals hospitalized for the virus.
Among America?s H1N1-related hospitalizations from Aug. 30 to Oct. 10, 26 percent of patients were between 5 and 18 years old.
Doyle said the elderly actually seem to have an advantage in this case.
?In 1957 and also in 1970, we had a flu season that had a virus that was similar. People who are older and went through those years may have developed an immunity,? she said.
?Younger people have immune systems that have not come into contact with that. They have minimal ability to fight it.
?It is counter-intuitive because usually the elderly are the ones at risk,? she noted, adding that young people tend to congregate more, making them more likely to come into contact with the virus.
Hospital reports H1N1 death
Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009 1:14 AM CST
JOSHUA TREE ? A patient at the Hi-Desert Medical Center died from the H1N1 virus Thursday, hospital staff have confirmed. Staff at the hospital say the patient was a young adult male. His is the first recorded death in the Hi-Desert believed to be caused by H1N1, commonly referred to as ?swine flu,? although the San Bernardino County Department of Health has not been available to confirm the death as H1N1-related. The health department has confirmed 24 deaths within the county this year.
Joe Ruddon, director of marketing and business development at HDMC, said the hospital received a limited amount of the H1N1 vaccine this month, which was reserved for medical staff.
?We?re trying to get the vaccine for our employees; it?s really important that we get our frontline staff inoculated first,? Ruddon said Thursday.
Health department officials have said vaccinations will be limited to groups who are most at-risk, including pregnant women, people living with or caring for infants younger than 6 months old, anyone 6 months to 24 years old, people ages 25 to 64 with certain chronic medical conditions or weakened immune systems, and health care personnel.
Swine flu symptoms more severe
Director of the hospital?s medical-surgery intensive care unity, Marge Doyle, said the H1N1 virus causes symptoms similar to the regular seasonal flu, but can be differentiated with a few common characteristics.
?If you have a fever that doesn?t respond and/or you?re getting dehydrated and experiencing diarrhea or vomiting, feeling tired or listless and having trouble breathing ? those are the symptoms that we look for,? she noted.
She also said those who are experiencing flu-like symptoms should avoid the hospital unless their symptoms are severe and unresponsive to treatment, or they are having difficulty breathing.
So far, under recommendation from the county, the hospital has only been testing for H1N1 in patients whose sickness is severe enough for them to be admitted.
HDMC staff says the type of testing they do onsite can be somewhat ineffective.
?The tests can produce a lot of false negatives and false positives,? Ruddon noted.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, a specific test is needed to tell if an illness is caused by a specific influenza strain or by some other virus.
?This test is different from rapid flu tests that doctors can do in their offices,? a CDC notice states.
?It takes one to two weeks to confirm the presence of H1N1,? said Kathy Alkire of the Joshua Tree hospital.
Because of the lengthy confirmation process, medical staff must treat a suspected H1N1 patient in the same manner as they would with any other flu strain.
?It?s all about symptom management,? Alkire added.
She also said many patients are able to recover at home without receiving the Tamiflu treatment.
Those who have already been sick with a flu-like illness since spring of 2009 are still encouraged to get an H1N1 vaccine if they fall into one of the at-risk categories.
This time, young are more at risk
Nationwide, patients 65 years and older made up the smallest percentage of individuals hospitalized for the virus.
Among America?s H1N1-related hospitalizations from Aug. 30 to Oct. 10, 26 percent of patients were between 5 and 18 years old.
Doyle said the elderly actually seem to have an advantage in this case.
?In 1957 and also in 1970, we had a flu season that had a virus that was similar. People who are older and went through those years may have developed an immunity,? she said.
?Younger people have immune systems that have not come into contact with that. They have minimal ability to fight it.
?It is counter-intuitive because usually the elderly are the ones at risk,? she noted, adding that young people tend to congregate more, making them more likely to come into contact with the virus.