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Source: http://www.examiner.com.au/news/loc...egion39s-first-death/1580656.aspx?storypage=0
Midlands woman dies of swine flu in LGH - 38-year-old woman was in high-risk category and region's first death
BY DANIELLE BLEWETT HEALTH REPORTER
29/07/2009 12:00:00 AM
KEY POINTS
?Australia has 19,026 confirmed cases of swine flu
?Deaths: 51 with 17 deaths in NSW, 3 in the NT, 6 in Qld, 5 in SA, 3 in Tasmania, 16 in Victoria and 1 in WA.
Hospitalisations: 383 people in hospital around Australia with swine flu and 103 of these are in intensive care units, eight in Tasmania.
THE sudden swine flu death of a 38-year-old Northern Midlands woman - the region's first flu death - shocked hospital staff, the Launceston General Hospital's director of clinical services said yesterday.
Dr Peter Renshaw said that the woman appeared to be recovering when she suffered heart failure at noon yesterday.
Her death was the North's first from swine flu, with three statwide.
The woman was admitted to the hospital's ICU last Wednesday, Dr Renshaw said.
The woman's family was with her when she died, he said.
"This particular lady was in the high-risk group," Dr Renshaw said.
The woman was among five other patients being treated for H1N1 at the LGH.
Two children and three adults, all with existing risk factors, were recovering from the virus, Dr Renshaw said.
He said that the dead woman was in the high-risk group because of her weight.
She had also continued to work with flu symptoms before being admitted into the hospital, Dr Renshaw said.
He said that it was important for people with pre- existing risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, asthma or emphysema to contact their doctors immediately they had flu symptoms.
Meanwhile, the LGH should be able to reopen the North's swine flu clinic in the grounds of the hospital by the end of this week, Dr Renshaw said.
The clinic will include demountable buildings and is likely to be located near the outpatients entrance on the southern side of the hospital.
The clinic will offer diagnosis and support for swine flu and issue medical certificates for carers and swine flu patients.
The hospital has also ramped up its capacity to care for people with heart and lung failure with four extra ventilators and an ecmo machine - a heart and lung machine for patients with extreme breathing distress.
To date, there have been no deaths from seasonal influenza, he said.
The hospital's emergency department treated 150 patients on a single day last week, and pressure on beds was at capacity, he said.
Of the 45 people treated in the department until lunchtime yesterday, four had presented with flu-like symptoms, he said.
Dr Renshaw said that the North's predominantly decentralised population had so far shielded it from the type of outbreak Hobart had experienced.
Midlands woman dies of swine flu in LGH - 38-year-old woman was in high-risk category and region's first death
BY DANIELLE BLEWETT HEALTH REPORTER
29/07/2009 12:00:00 AM
KEY POINTS
?Australia has 19,026 confirmed cases of swine flu
?Deaths: 51 with 17 deaths in NSW, 3 in the NT, 6 in Qld, 5 in SA, 3 in Tasmania, 16 in Victoria and 1 in WA.
Hospitalisations: 383 people in hospital around Australia with swine flu and 103 of these are in intensive care units, eight in Tasmania.
THE sudden swine flu death of a 38-year-old Northern Midlands woman - the region's first flu death - shocked hospital staff, the Launceston General Hospital's director of clinical services said yesterday.
Dr Peter Renshaw said that the woman appeared to be recovering when she suffered heart failure at noon yesterday.
Her death was the North's first from swine flu, with three statwide.
The woman was admitted to the hospital's ICU last Wednesday, Dr Renshaw said.
The woman's family was with her when she died, he said.
"This particular lady was in the high-risk group," Dr Renshaw said.
The woman was among five other patients being treated for H1N1 at the LGH.
Two children and three adults, all with existing risk factors, were recovering from the virus, Dr Renshaw said.
He said that the dead woman was in the high-risk group because of her weight.
She had also continued to work with flu symptoms before being admitted into the hospital, Dr Renshaw said.
He said that it was important for people with pre- existing risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, asthma or emphysema to contact their doctors immediately they had flu symptoms.
Meanwhile, the LGH should be able to reopen the North's swine flu clinic in the grounds of the hospital by the end of this week, Dr Renshaw said.
The clinic will include demountable buildings and is likely to be located near the outpatients entrance on the southern side of the hospital.
The clinic will offer diagnosis and support for swine flu and issue medical certificates for carers and swine flu patients.
The hospital has also ramped up its capacity to care for people with heart and lung failure with four extra ventilators and an ecmo machine - a heart and lung machine for patients with extreme breathing distress.
To date, there have been no deaths from seasonal influenza, he said.
The hospital's emergency department treated 150 patients on a single day last week, and pressure on beds was at capacity, he said.
Of the 45 people treated in the department until lunchtime yesterday, four had presented with flu-like symptoms, he said.
Dr Renshaw said that the North's predominantly decentralised population had so far shielded it from the type of outbreak Hobart had experienced.