tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
A new report that will be published in the October issue of Pediatrics, "Influenza A/H1N1/09-10 Infections in a NICU During the 2009-2010 H1N1 Pandemic," discusses three cases of H1N1 flu in very low birthweight premature babies in a NICU.
The babies got sick between October 1 and November 4, 2009 and had signs and symptoms including:
increased secretions from their endotracheal tubes
an increase in oxygen requirements
apnea
an increase in respiratory support
seizures (one baby)
The babies took between 5 to 15 days to get better.
How did they get the flu since they had never left the NICU? Although none of their visiting family members had the flu, at least 20 nurses and other medical staff were out sick with respiratory symptoms at this time.
Of note, the 2009 H1N1 vaccine became available at the beginning of October, although it not clear if it was available to hospital staff before these babies got the flu. That the flu can spread in situations like this is a good reason why all hospital staff should be vaccinated against flu and other vaccine preventable diseases though.
http://pediatrics.about.com/b/2011/10/03/flu-in-the-nicu.htm
The babies got sick between October 1 and November 4, 2009 and had signs and symptoms including:
increased secretions from their endotracheal tubes
an increase in oxygen requirements
apnea
an increase in respiratory support
seizures (one baby)
The babies took between 5 to 15 days to get better.
How did they get the flu since they had never left the NICU? Although none of their visiting family members had the flu, at least 20 nurses and other medical staff were out sick with respiratory symptoms at this time.
Of note, the 2009 H1N1 vaccine became available at the beginning of October, although it not clear if it was available to hospital staff before these babies got the flu. That the flu can spread in situations like this is a good reason why all hospital staff should be vaccinated against flu and other vaccine preventable diseases though.
http://pediatrics.about.com/b/2011/10/03/flu-in-the-nicu.htm