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Source: http://www.starnewsonline.com/artic...rea-resident-dies-from-swine-flu-in-past-week
Second area resident dies from swine flu in past week
By Vicky Eckenrode
Vicky.Eckenrode@StarNewsOnline.com
Published: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 7:38 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 7:38 p.m.
Wilmington | A second area resident has died from the H1N1 virus, New Hanover Regional Medical Center officials said Tuesday.
The man, who was in his early 50s, died at the hospital late last week, said Paul Kamitsuka, the hospital?s infection control physician.
The death came after a pregnant Brunswick County woman also died because of the virus Oct. 20. She had been treated at New Hanover Regional, but transferred to Duke University Hospital where doctors delivered her 30-week-old baby before she died.
Kamitsuka spoke about the pandemic virus? spread during the hospital?s board of trustees meeting Tuesday evening.
He said there have been 17 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus at the hospital, adding that figure is an under-count because not everyone has been tested. Nine people have been in the hospital?s intensive care unit, and most of those patients have had to be on ventilators.
A number of the patients on ventilators were under the age of 40, Kamitsuka said.
He said two were pregnant or had just given birth and a few had other medical conditions, but some had no other health-risk factors.
Kamitsuka said the virus, which is widespread in most states including in North Carolina, has caused influenza-like illness much earlier in the year than the traditional flu season and was affecting more young people.
?This is clearly a different flu,? he said.
Kamitsuka told the board members steps the hospital has taken to try to minimize exposure among patients and workers.
Those include restricting visitors under 18, urging people who feel sick to not visit the hospital, separating patients with flu-like symptoms from other patients, implementing isolation procedures particularly in the pediatrics and ob/gyn areas and starting H1N1 vaccines for health-care workers though doses remain limited nationwide.
Kamitsuka said the hospital also has plans to expand treatment areas should the number of patients spike because of the virus.
He said if the current patient volume goes up 10 percent or more for three days or more, the hospital has plans to set up triage tents outside the emergency departments at New Hanover Regional and Cape Fear Hospital.
He said health officials are not yet predicting when the virus might peak and start to subside.
?I think the best guess is this pandemic will persist for months,? he said.
Vicky Eckenrode: 343-2339
On Twitter.com: @vickyeckenrode
Second area resident dies from swine flu in past week
By Vicky Eckenrode
Vicky.Eckenrode@StarNewsOnline.com
Published: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 7:38 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 7:38 p.m.
Wilmington | A second area resident has died from the H1N1 virus, New Hanover Regional Medical Center officials said Tuesday.
The man, who was in his early 50s, died at the hospital late last week, said Paul Kamitsuka, the hospital?s infection control physician.
The death came after a pregnant Brunswick County woman also died because of the virus Oct. 20. She had been treated at New Hanover Regional, but transferred to Duke University Hospital where doctors delivered her 30-week-old baby before she died.
Kamitsuka spoke about the pandemic virus? spread during the hospital?s board of trustees meeting Tuesday evening.
He said there have been 17 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus at the hospital, adding that figure is an under-count because not everyone has been tested. Nine people have been in the hospital?s intensive care unit, and most of those patients have had to be on ventilators.
A number of the patients on ventilators were under the age of 40, Kamitsuka said.
He said two were pregnant or had just given birth and a few had other medical conditions, but some had no other health-risk factors.
Kamitsuka said the virus, which is widespread in most states including in North Carolina, has caused influenza-like illness much earlier in the year than the traditional flu season and was affecting more young people.
?This is clearly a different flu,? he said.
Kamitsuka told the board members steps the hospital has taken to try to minimize exposure among patients and workers.
Those include restricting visitors under 18, urging people who feel sick to not visit the hospital, separating patients with flu-like symptoms from other patients, implementing isolation procedures particularly in the pediatrics and ob/gyn areas and starting H1N1 vaccines for health-care workers though doses remain limited nationwide.
Kamitsuka said the hospital also has plans to expand treatment areas should the number of patients spike because of the virus.
He said if the current patient volume goes up 10 percent or more for three days or more, the hospital has plans to set up triage tents outside the emergency departments at New Hanover Regional and Cape Fear Hospital.
He said health officials are not yet predicting when the virus might peak and start to subside.
?I think the best guess is this pandemic will persist for months,? he said.
Vicky Eckenrode: 343-2339
On Twitter.com: @vickyeckenrode