Yellow Pages
In an effort to minimize what is expected to be a tough flu season, Island Hospital will ask anyone arriving with a cough or fever to don a mask, and it is recommending that young visitors stay away.
“We are posting signs at our entrances with masks and hand sanitizer and a message asking that visitors or outpatients with any fever or cough should mask and hand sanitize immediately,” said Island Hospital’s Assistant Administrator for Patient Services Barbara Ringhouse. “We are discouraging visitors under 18, but leaving it the nurse’s discretion as is our usual infection control policy, and we are keeping a separate waiting area for patients with flu symptoms.”
So far, she said Anacortes hasn’t been hit too hard by flu.
“We have fairly steadily had one or two inpatients with flu. The Emergency Department is seeing several each day, the majority of whom are able to be sent home,” Ringhouse said.
Schools aren’t seeing a lot of flu absences.
“We’re actually doing pretty good right now. A couple weeks ago we had some staff out,” said Anacortes School Superintendent Chris Borgen.
Flu patients who seek medical care may be curious, but determining which virus a person has is not a high priority of providers. Emergency Department and community physicians are testing some patients, but testing is only required for hospitalized patients. Ringhouse said most current cases are likely H1N1, the so-called “swine flu.”
“It’s fairly sure that if people have flu symptoms it is Type A influenza and H1N1 has been all of the Type A flu cases as far as I know. Seasonal flu has not really emerged in any strength yet,” she said.
The fact that it’s H1N1 is not a reason to panic. While it’s easier to catch, its symptoms are no more dangerous than ordinary flu.
“The H1N1 flu is not worse than regular seasonal flu, there is just less immunity in the population and so more people and younger people are getting it. The more people that get it, the greater number of cases that turn serious — it’s all in the numbers,” Ringhouse said.
Most people with flu don’t need to come to the hospital.
“One of the things we are hoping to emphasize is that sick people do not have to come to the Emergency Department or MD offices unless they have some of the serious symptoms,” she said.
In adults, these symptoms include breathing problems, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion and severe or persistent vomiting.
In children, other serious symptoms could include blue or gray skin color, fever with a rash, signs of dehydration, not waking or interacting, extreme irritability or flu-like symptoms that improve before returning with fever and a worse cough.
Those who are in a high risk group, including very young children, people with chronic conditions such as asthma, or immune-suppression, are particularly at risk.
For less serious cases, appropriate treatment includes plenty of fluids and bed rest. Anyone with symptoms should use a tissue or their sleeves when coughing or sneezing, wash hands often or use hand sanitizer, avoid touching their nose, eyes or mouth and avoid close contact with sick people.
The CDC recommends those with flu stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone, or for seven days after the onset of symptoms.
Island Hospital is working to keep flu from spreading by encouraging staff and vulnerable patients to take simple preventative steps and to get vaccinated. Ringhouse estimated 74 percent of staff have received seasonal flu vaccine and said a immunization clinic for staff, volunteers and current patients of the hospital’s clinics was under way as she spoke.
“We have given about 150 doses of H1N1 in either injectable or nasal spray format to front-line care givers and physicians. We are awaiting our next allocation,” she said.
Eventually enough vaccine should be available for anyone who wants it.
She said more clinics are planned and dates will be announced.
“We will keep going as long as we have vaccine and people that want it,” she said.
She said the good news about the flu breakout is that people have learned to embrace vaccinations.
“The silver lining of this will be that more people will get seasonal flu vaccine each year as it is available. Once you’ve had or seen someone with a very bad case of the flu, you believe in the vaccination,” Ringhouse said.
For the latest information on area flu-shot clinics, call the Island Hospital Flu Hotline at 299-4244. Information is also posted at http://www.flu.gov, http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1 and http://www.skagitcounty.net/Health.
