NZ - Surgery delays due to swine flu

[Sally Furniss]

Surgery delays due to swine flu

Published: 8:00AM Saturday July 25, 2009

NZPA

Swine flu and cases of the ordinary seasonal flu are being blamed for delays to surgery in Christchurch.

Operations have been postponed at Christchurch Hospital, to take the load off its intensive care unit.

A combination of swine flu and seasonal flu cases have pushed up demand for beds.

Canterbury District Health Board says extra ICU beds are being added, and some patients are being accommodated elsewhere.

Spokesman Mark Leggatt says some surgery for people who could need intensive care post-operatively is being postponed.

Some patients who need urgent surgery will have it at local private hospitals, or in other centres.

Meanwhile there are developments on swine flu from several other parts of the world.

A swine flu vaccine should be ready to use in just over a month.

The World Health Organisation says several manufacturers are working on the production of a pandemic vaccine.

Clinical trials are expected to give a clearer idea of the number of doses a person would need to have immunity.

http://tvnz.co.nz/health-news/surgery-delays-due-swine-flu-2870521

 

[kiwibird]

Re: NZ - Surgery delays due to swine flu

Swine flu hits elective surgery

Published: 11:33AM Monday July 27, 2009

Source: Newstalk ZB/ONE News

* Read

Swine flu hits elective surgery (Source: Reuters)

ReutersThe H1N1 flu virus (red) bears a disturbing resemblance to the virus strain that caused the 1918 flu pandemic

Christchurch Hospital's Intensive Care Unit is continuing to use staff from other departments as it copes with swine flu.

Sixteen patients with flu like symptoms are in ICU and elective surgery is being postponed on a daily basis as a result.

General manager Mark Leggatt says the number of flu patients in ICU has been high and will continue to fluctuate. He says it's necessary to postpone non-urgent elective surgery to use the resources in ICU.

Dr Leggatt says operating theatre and recovery nurses are helping out, as well as anaesthetist staff.

He expects to have to continue postponing surgery for another month.

Meanwhile, a man who died of suspected swine flu may be New Zealand's first swine flu victim who did not have any other health problems.

Stephen Russell Lavelle, a 27-year-old electrician from Invercargill, died of suspected swine flu on Friday.
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The Ministry of Health is working to confirm whether Lavelle died of swine flu, and whether he had any other health problems. Spokesman Peter Abernethy said this should be confirmed in the next few days.

Fourteen people have been confirmed to have died from swine-flu since it hit New Zealand 12 weeks ago.
http://tvnz.co.nz/health-news/swine-flu-hits-elective-surgery-2873842

 

[kiwibird]

Re: NZ - Surgery delays due to swine flu

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/67316/less-surgery-flu-takes-its-toll
Less surgery as flu takes its toll
Home ? News ? Dunedin
By Elspeth McLean on Wed, 29 Jul 2009

The swine flu epidemic has affected the amount of surgery at Dunedin Hospital recently, the Otago District Health Board hospital advisory committee has been told.

Chief operating officer Vivian Blake said yesterday the amount of surgery at Dunedin Hospital last month was about 4% less than what was planned.

Some of this was due to a reduction in nursing staff. There had been much sick leave and there were also some vacancies in theatre, she said.

Staff were also being " juggled" across different areas due to the swine flu virus.

Regional chief nursing and midwifery officer Leanne Samuel said the amount of illness was greater than would be expected with normal seasonal flu.

However, there was some fluctuation. Some days it was "business as usual" and other days the levels were higher.

Mrs Blake said the board had been able to assist with West Coast intensive care unit patients, who would normally be handled by the Canterbury District Health Board.

Committee member Susie Johnstone asked whether what was being seen was increased awareness of swine flu or increased prevalence.

Ms Samuel said the sampling being done at representative general practices showed an increase in people presenting with flu-like illnesses.

Escalation or de-escalation of services to deal with patients with flu-like illness would be undertaken as required.

Chairman Richard Thomson said it appeared the situation could be much worse and still had that potential, but the board was managing it.

? Yesterday, the Ministry of Health said its weekly monitoring might indicate a levelling in the number of people going to the GP with flu symptoms. Its weekly update showed 2704 confirmed cases of the illness in New Zealand, but since few people are tested the real figure would be much higher