Swine flu: what NOT to do

[WhoDaresWins]

I'm well-prepared for flu season and any possible illness as I have something like 3 months of sick leave stored up. I hope I don't have to use any of it. But if I get sick with any of these symptoms, I will stay at home. Hey, I will be able to post here during the day, just like a retired person.

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhoDaresWins I'm well-prepared for flu season and any possible illness as I have something like 3 months of sick leave stored up. I hope I don't have to use any of it. But if I get sick with any of these symptoms, I will stay at home. Hey, I will be able to post here during the day, just like a retired person.

No, retired people are out doing stuff during the day. It's workers who are on here all day.

Ha

[freebird5825]

I saw this link in my Savvy Senior newsletter. It is a self assessment tool for H1N1, sponsored by Microsoft and licensed from Emory University.

https://h1n1.cloudapp.net/Default.aspx

I have no opinion of its merit or lack thereof.

[Moemg]

The one way I feel this flu differed from others I had is how quick the complications set in . I had it and it was mild so I was surprised when I suddenly awoke with shortness of breath and a purulent cough . Since I have asthma I could tell that I was heading for trouble but a lot of people would wait and that is the thing you can not wait with this flu as soon as you start with the difficulty breathing or cough you need to get checked out .

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg The one way I feel this flu differed from others I had is how quick the complications set in . I had it and it was mild so I was surprised when I suddenly awoke with shortness of breath and a purulent cough . Since I have asthma I could tell that I was heading for trouble but a lot of people would wait and that is the thing you can not wait with this flu as soon as you start with the difficulty breathing or cough you need to get checked out .

That seems to hold up for the several patients I have seen. I would add that digestive symptoms which are progressing warrant being seen promptly before serious dehydration sets in.

[Bimmerbill]

So, watch for dehydration and breathing difficulty right? Wheezing, not stridor? I get the obvious signs: blue lips/nails and lack of response.

Expect dry coughing with it? Watch for reoccurance of fever showing a secondary infection?

Just trying to get prepared since I feel I need to do something and that's about the only thing I can do!

[DblDoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bimmerbill So, watch for dehydration and breathing difficulty right? Wheezing, not stridor? I get the obvious signs: blue lips/nails and lack of response. Expect dry coughing with it? Watch for reoccurance of fever showing a secondary infection? Just trying to get prepared since I feel I need to do something and that's about the only thing I can do!

Classic influenza is high fevers and non-productive cough with malaise and myalgias (feel crappy and everything hurts). H1N1 seems to have more GI symptoms with nausea and vomiting present. With the fever and vomiting it is easy to become dehydrated which makes you feel worse so get treatment for that early. Despite the cough you should NOT feel short of breath, if you do you need to be checked out. Ditto if your "dry" cough becomes "wet" with yellow/green sputum. If you are seeing blue lips/nails and unresponsiveness you have waited too long !.

DD

[Bimmerbill]

Trying to get boned up on the symptoms to watch out for. DD is 3.5 and with her autism she really never says anything hurts or talks much about how she feels. She has a sinus and double ear infection once and I only figured it out when she kept putting herself back to bed. She never complained.

So, I guess I am paranoic and try to anticipate how she feels.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bimmerbill Trying to get boned up on the symptoms to watch out for. DD is 3.5 and with her autism she really never says anything hurts or talks much about how she feels. She has a sinus and double ear infection once and I only figured it out when she kept putting herself back to bed. She never complained. So, I guess I am paranoic and try to anticipate how she feels.

Fever can get really high in children affected by some diseases. You're probably already doing this, but anyway I'll suggest being sure to keep an eye out for serious fever by putting a hand on her forehead now and then.

[Bimmerbill]

Yeah, I do that a lot. Mostly with kisses. My hands are always cold, so not "calibrated" well, lol. I also have one of those ear temp things, that is pretty quick.

[Meadbh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire Fever can get really high in children affected by some diseases. You're probably already doing this, but anyway I'll suggest being sure to keep an eye out for serious fever by putting a hand on her forehead now and then.

Better still, buy a thermometer.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadbh Better still, buy a thermometer.

I thought of saying he could use a thermometer, but I think it might be a little much to take her temperature several times a day when no other symptoms had been detected yet (which is what I was thinking of). Maybe it's a little much to put a hand on her forehead that often, too! As a mom, usually I would check her forehead if I was worrying and then if it felt a little warm, or if I detected other symptoms, that would be when I would get out the thermometer. That way a kid doesn't know you are fussing over him/her all the time, even if you are a little bit.

[Meadbh]

JAMA -- Critically Ill Patients With 2009 Influenza A(H1N1) Infection in Canada, October 12, 2009, Kumar et al. 0 (2009): 2009.1496

[Bimmerbill]

Interesting article. thanks. I guess what I'm looking for is how this compares with the regular seasonal flu.

So, if I read this right, 7107 total H1N1, 20% required hospitalization, and 3.9% admitted to ICU. Hows that compare to seasonal flu?

Also, whats: "presence of gastrointestinal tract symptoms, dyspnea, purulent sputum production, and occasional frothy lung fluid on cough or endotracheal aspiration?"

I know what the GI tract stuff is, the other stuff is nasty cough with nasty spetum?

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bimmerbill Also, whats: "presence of gastrointestinal tract symptoms, dyspnea, purulent sputum production, and occasional frothy lung fluid on cough or endotracheal aspiration?" I know what the GI tract stuff is, the other stuff is nasty cough with nasty spetum?

"This thread is much better without pictures."

[Meadbh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bimmerbill Interesting article. thanks. I guess what I'm looking for is how this compares with the regular seasonal flu. So, if I read this right, 7107 total H1N1, 20% required hospitalization, and 3.9% admitted to ICU. Hows that compare to seasonal flu? Also, whats: "presence of gastrointestinal tract symptoms, dyspnea, purulent sputum production, and occasional frothy lung fluid on cough or endotracheal aspiration?" I know what the GI tract stuff is, the other stuff is nasty cough with nasty spetum?

BB, bottom line: on a population basis, H1N1 is not the worst flu ever. It's probably no worse than seasonal flu for the "average" person. HOWEVER...if you are in a high risk group (i.e. young and or pregnant and or Aboriginal) you seem to be particularly at risk of getting very, very sick, very quickly. And if you are hospitalized, you have a pretty good chance of needing to go to the ICU and be ventilated, and if that happens, you can expect to be critically ill for weeks, not days. Dr. Kumar (an ICU physician) said in a press conference that he had never before seen so many people be quite so sick for so long.

The other stuff is nasty cough with bubbly or even bloody sputum. And another complication is pulmonary hypertension, which is where your lung blood vessels squeeze tight and you can't get enough blood into your lungs, so not enough oxygen goes round your body, so to keep your brain healthy they have to turn up the ventilator and perhaps use nitric oxide (inhaled industrial gas) or even ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, otherwise known as bypass) to keep you going.

You did ask.....

[Bimmerbill]

Yep, thanks. I like to know what's going on. I guess I'm a numbers guy, so want to know my % if available. Then I can decide how worried I should be.

[DblDoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bimmerbill Yep, thanks. I like to know what's going on. I guess I'm a numbers guy, so want to know my % if available. Then I can decide how worried I should be.

Unfortunately the numbers won't be in until the season is done. We are seeing higher then "usual" numbers for the time of year. Whether that will continue or not is unknown. It is unfortunate that vaccine supplies are unable to meet demand given this early rise in cases.

DD

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

It appears that even swine can get swine flu, like this one in Minnesota. Someone up there ... hasn't been covering their mouth when they cough.

[freebird5825]

When we went on our cruise, we got very very sick. We had no fever or intestinal problems, so our doctor's office ruled out swine flu. I am holding off on finalizing my travel plans (not buying my plane ticket) to the Tampa area for January 2010 until I see how this H1N1 situation plays out.

Am I being irrational or prudent?
I really don't want to chalk up getting sick, 2 trips in a row.
And my schedule is truly my own...