KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Children’s Mercy Hospital is launching a
new Web site to help parents and patients be better-informed about the various types of flu and flu vaccinations.
The site offers information about the seasonal flu and the 2009 H1N1 flu (also called “swine flu”), including advice about when and how to seek medical care.
“Children and adults who are ill and at high risk for flu complications and people with more severe flu symptoms should call their regular health care provider or go to an urgent care clinic or emergency department if they cannot reach their health care provider. Whenever possible, call your health care provider to get advice on whether you need to be seen,” says the site.
Children’s Mercy is among several area hospitals whose emergency departments are seeing an increased number of patients with flu-like symptoms.
When to Seek Care
The site says “if your child has any of the following symptoms, call your doctor right away or, if you can’t, take your child to an urgent care center or emergency room."
When to seek medical care:
• Fast breathing or having trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Flu symptoms get better, but then get worse again with fever and cough
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting
What You Should Know about H1N1
The Children’s Flu Center site also lists
10 things you should know about H1N1 Influenza:
1. What is influenza? This is virus that every winter season causes fever and cough and so is called seasonal influenza.
2. What is different about 2009 H1N1 influenza? This virus is a new strain caused by mixing several influenza genes together (a mutation). Few persons, if anyone, have immunity from exposure in previous years. This means anyone exposed to the virus will likely become infected.
3. What kind of symptoms can 2009 H1N1 cause? All the symptoms are similar to the usual winter influenza so high fever, muscle aches, headache, sore throat and cough are most common.
4. Is this flu worse than usual flu? So far, this appears to be a mild version of influenza except in rare cases.
5. Should I get tested if I think I have H1N1? Probably not. Testing is recommended in patients with certain high risk underlying conditions like heart, lung disease, or immune problems since complications from influenza are more common in this group. It is also recommended in patients ill enough to be hospitalized.
6. If I get 2009 H1N1, should my doctor prescribe routine antibiotics, like amoxicillin? This is a viral illness and antibiotics only help with certain bacterial infection.
7. Is there a medicine that fights viruses like influenza? There are 3 antiviral medications for influenza and 2 appear to be effective for the 2009 H1N1 so far. A serious concern is that if these medicines are overused, then resistance will develop and no treatment will be available for even the sickest patients.
8. Does treatment help? Treatment shortens the course of disease by about a day in most patients, but does not lessen symptoms. It appears most helpful in patients who are most severely ill (hospitalized) or with compromised immune systems.
9. Who should get treatment if they have flu? Current recommendations are that only certain patients should get treated with these medicines. Treatment is recommended for high risk patients and for preventative treatment for high risk household contacts. As always, immunization may be the best way to prevent influenza. 2009 H1N1 vaccines are currently being tested and may be available by fall. Children should still get the routine seasonal influenza vaccine too.
10. Are there complications of 2009 H1N1? Like every influenza virus, bacterial complications like ear infection and pneumonia can follow 2009 H1N1 influenza. Most patients with 2009 H1N1 improve without treatment in 2-3 days. If your child has influenza symptoms and does not improve or starts getting worse by day 4, SEE YOUR PEDIATRICIAN.
