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Source: http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/new...h-Swine-Flu-Fears/WXgr2BVu9k6Kqt71cJlWTA.cspx
Mid-South Swine Flu Fears
Reported by: Allison Sossaman
Email: asossaman@myeyewitnessnews.com
Last Update: 9:16 pm
MEMPHIS, TN - Baptist Memorial Hospital is running tests to see if H1N1 is behind the death of a 60-year-old Munford, TN man. Terry "Dusty" Kidd died Saturday.
Fears over the swine flu have people filling up emergency rooms. At Methodist North, Doctors say they've been seeing 50 to 60 more patients a day with flu-like symptoms, but they think it may have peaked last week. Still, they say, if you aren't too sick, it's a good idea to stay home.
"If you come to the hospital,? said Dr. Edward Davis. ?everyone that's coming is coming here because of this. If you don't have it, you probably will end up getting it."
Dr. Davis says all of these cases are likely swine flu; it's too early for the seasonal flu. From what he's seen, the H1N1 virus is pretty bad.
"One of my colleagues just got over it and he said it was the worst he'd ever had in his life," Dr. Davis said.
He says if you're sick you should stay home and avoid the hospital altogether.
"Probably 90% of what we're seeing can be managed at home," Dr. Davis said.
Doctors say get some rest, drink plenty of fluids and take Tylenol for the fever. That should be enough for most people, but there are exceptions.
"The folks who need to come to the hospital are those who are getting increasingly ill or have difficulty breathing, are unable to eat or drink, becoming dehydrated, or have a very high fever that will not come down,? said Dr. Barry Gilmore, Medical Director of Emergency Services at Le Bonheur.
Everyday for the past week, nearly 200 kids have been getting checked out for flu-like symptoms at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center. Doctors there say the pre-screening tent that's been put up outside to deal with the influx will stay up for as long as this trend continues.
"What we've been able to do is off-load some of those large numbers of patients whose parents are worried about them to a place that we can rapidly see them," said Dr. Gilmore.
Sunday, Le Bonheur screened out about a third of the more than 300 kids who came there.
"It really has helped the emergency department's load also,? Dr. Gilmore said. ?So that we can see the sicker patients in a more timely manner."
Doctors say they're going along with the CDC guidelines for their treatment of H1N1. Only those who fall into the high risk categories will be treated with medication
Baptist Hospital says it's running tests to see if swine flu caused Terry "Dusty" Kidd's death. 13-year-old White Station Middle School student Michael Howse died a week ago. His was the first confirmed swine flu death in our area.
Mid-South Swine Flu Fears
Reported by: Allison Sossaman
Email: asossaman@myeyewitnessnews.com
Last Update: 9:16 pm
MEMPHIS, TN - Baptist Memorial Hospital is running tests to see if H1N1 is behind the death of a 60-year-old Munford, TN man. Terry "Dusty" Kidd died Saturday.
Fears over the swine flu have people filling up emergency rooms. At Methodist North, Doctors say they've been seeing 50 to 60 more patients a day with flu-like symptoms, but they think it may have peaked last week. Still, they say, if you aren't too sick, it's a good idea to stay home.
"If you come to the hospital,? said Dr. Edward Davis. ?everyone that's coming is coming here because of this. If you don't have it, you probably will end up getting it."
Dr. Davis says all of these cases are likely swine flu; it's too early for the seasonal flu. From what he's seen, the H1N1 virus is pretty bad.
"One of my colleagues just got over it and he said it was the worst he'd ever had in his life," Dr. Davis said.
He says if you're sick you should stay home and avoid the hospital altogether.
"Probably 90% of what we're seeing can be managed at home," Dr. Davis said.
Doctors say get some rest, drink plenty of fluids and take Tylenol for the fever. That should be enough for most people, but there are exceptions.
"The folks who need to come to the hospital are those who are getting increasingly ill or have difficulty breathing, are unable to eat or drink, becoming dehydrated, or have a very high fever that will not come down,? said Dr. Barry Gilmore, Medical Director of Emergency Services at Le Bonheur.
Everyday for the past week, nearly 200 kids have been getting checked out for flu-like symptoms at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center. Doctors there say the pre-screening tent that's been put up outside to deal with the influx will stay up for as long as this trend continues.
"What we've been able to do is off-load some of those large numbers of patients whose parents are worried about them to a place that we can rapidly see them," said Dr. Gilmore.
Sunday, Le Bonheur screened out about a third of the more than 300 kids who came there.
"It really has helped the emergency department's load also,? Dr. Gilmore said. ?So that we can see the sicker patients in a more timely manner."
Doctors say they're going along with the CDC guidelines for their treatment of H1N1. Only those who fall into the high risk categories will be treated with medication
Baptist Hospital says it's running tests to see if swine flu caused Terry "Dusty" Kidd's death. 13-year-old White Station Middle School student Michael Howse died a week ago. His was the first confirmed swine flu death in our area.