Scores of swine flu victims to be sent to Europe

kiwibird · Jul 28, 2009

From The Sunday Times
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July 26, 2009
Scores of swine flu victims to be sent to Europe

   <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/js/m24-image-browser.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript">  </script> <script type="text/javascript">  </script> <script type="text/javascript">  </script>  <script type="text/javascript">  </script> <script type="text/javascript">  </script>  Steven Swinford and Chris Gourlay
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  Pregnant swine flu victim Sharon Pentleton, 26, from North Ayrshire

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     <style type="text/css"> div#related-article-links p a, div#related-article-links p a:visited { color:#06c; } </style>  Against government advice, family doctors are refusing to give out Tamiflu for mild cases of swine flu, according to the British Medical Association.
The Department of Health is encouraging all those with symptoms of swine flu to take the antiviral drug Tamiflu or its alternative, Relenza. On Friday the government set up a national flu service through which people who think they have swine flu can obtain prescriptions by phone or over the internet without seeing a doctor.
GPs are already reporting an increase in the number of people experiencing side effects from the drug, which can include vomiting, diarrhoea and hallucinations.
Peter Holden, the BMA?s lead representative on pandemic flu, said: ?The feeling is that the government policy as espoused by the chief medical officer is that Tamiflu is there for anybody that wants it. There is a clear divide now growing between what doctors are doing and what the chief medical officer wants.
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 ?In mild cases most doctors are using their clinical judgment and saying, ?You are not in a high-risk group; I don?t think you ought to have this?. If it was a member of my family and they were otherwise fit and they were not a high-risk case, I wouldn?t give it to them.?
According to Holden, GPs in the southeast ? the worst-hit area in Britain ? have seen a rise in people suffering side effects from Tamiflu. ?People are going for second and third consultations with their GP \. It?s putting even more strain on the NHS,? he said.
There are also fears that people are confusing the symptoms of serious illnesses such as meningitis and pneumonia with swine flu. As a result they are taking antivirals when they require antibiotics or even hospital treatment.
Holden said: ?The price we?re paying for having the flu helpline is that we now have far too low a threshold for issuing Tamiflu. The profession is concerned about that.?
The NHS is making contingency plans to fly a limited number of swine flu patients with specialised healthcare needs by private jet to European hospitals if Britain?s intensive care services become overwhelmed.
Last week, Sharon Pentleton, 26, a swine flu patient who is six months pregnant, was flown to Sweden after developing adult respiratory distress syndrome, a rare complication. The health department chartered a private jet to fly her from Kilmarnock to the Karolinska University hospital in Stockholm because a specialist NHS unit in Leicester was full.
She has been put in the hospital?s ECMO unit, where blood is circulated outside the body with the addition of oxygen. It is used when the patient?s lungs are functioning poorly. Last night she was in a critical but stable condition.
The NHS confirmed this approach could be used again if ordinary critical care beds were full. A spokeswoman said there would be no cost limit on transferring patients abroad.
The plans emerged after doctors said demand for beds across England at the peak of a pandemic could be 60% above the number available. Hospitals in southwest and east England and on the coast in the southeast would be worst hit.
Last week, the number of swine flu cases rose to 100,000, almost double the previous week?s total. More than 840 patients have been admitted to hospital, and 63 are in critical care.
The government is also considering appointing a swine flu co-ordinator to advise ministers on how best to keep in touch with pupils in the event of school closures. Cobra, the government emergency committee, is drawing up plans to educate children over the internet to ensure schooling is not disrupted. The government has ruled out closing schools in September to curb the virus.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/Swine_flu/article6727685.ece

ming · Jul 28, 2009

Re: Scores of swine flu victims to be sent to Europe

I wish they would stop trying to dramatise the headlines !!

" A LIMITED NUMBER" - turns into "SCORES" And it's something that always has happened, it's not confined to flu patients!! Also I wonder what makes them think that European hospitals are going to turn away their own people so that Britian can have their beds... Not likely LOL !

gsgs · Jul 28, 2009

Re: Scores of swine flu victims to be sent to Europe

yes, the headlines.

Someone please score the journals by their headlines and publish the scores !

tropical · Jul 28, 2009

Re: Scores of swine flu victims to be sent to Europe

#1:
"Against government advice, family doctors are refusing to give out Tamiflu for mild cases of swine flu, according to the British Medical Association.
...
GPs are already reporting an increase in the number of people experiencing side effects from the drug, which can include vomiting, diarrhoea and hallucinations.
Peter Holden, the BMA’s lead representative on pandemic flu, said: “The feeling is that the government policy as espoused by the chief medical officer is that Tamiflu is there for anybody that wants it. There is a clear divide now growing between what doctors are doing and what the chief medical officer wants.
...
“In mild cases most doctors are using their clinical judgment and saying, ‘You are not in a high-risk group; I don’t think you ought to have this’. If it was a member of my family and they were otherwise fit and they were not a high-risk case, I wouldn’t give it to them.”
According to Holden, GPs in the southeast — the worst-hit area in Britain — have seen a rise in people suffering side effects from Tamiflu. “People are going for second and third consultations with their GP \. It’s putting even more strain on the NHS,” he said.
There are also fears that people are confusing the symptoms of serious illnesses such as meningitis and pneumonia with swine flu. As a result they are taking antivirals when they require antibiotics or even hospital treatment."   <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/js/picture-gallery.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> function slideshowPopUp(url) { pictureGalleryPopupPic(url); return false; } </script>         

Without lab checks, nobody can exclude a patient haven't pandemic flu also.

If other illnesses are the crux, than the systems must achieved an automatic, human sparing, lab checking of all cases, even if payed by the patient himself.

Otherwise, they can't arbitrary by "I don’t think you ought to have this" deprivate the patients from the only healing drug in real time.

The red highlighted above statement is an totaly un-scientific statement, at best it is an booking probability rullete.

And additionaly, this diatribe will cessed when the country main health advisor would converted it's "advice", in an "circulary directive".

So, antivirals freely early, with additional health lab checkings if neccessary prior to asess other illnesses.

Dianna · Jul 28, 2009

Re: Scores of swine flu victims to be sent to Europe

gsgs said:
yes, the headlines.

Someone please score the journals by their headlines and publish the scores !

Excellent Idea!

Nika · Jul 28, 2009

Re: Scores of swine flu victims to be sent to Europe

Journalists usually do not have control over what becomes the headline.

Target the editors who write them instead

gsgs · Jul 28, 2009

Re: Scores of swine flu victims to be sent to Europe

journalists should include a general disclaimer, that they
have nothing to do with the headline

jeanne · Jul 28, 2009

Re: Scores of swine flu victims to be sent to Europe

gsgs said:
journalists should include a general disclaimer, that they
have nothing to do with the headline

or the content, when all they do is rip and report the wire service, or even worse, press releases. reportage isn't what it used to be.

Scores of swine flu victims to be sent to Europe

kiwibird

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ming

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gsgs

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tropical

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Dianna

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gsgs

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