The Flu this year....

[medi]

Hearing so much in the media about how severe the flu strain is this year and it seems to be just hitting my state- 5 deaths so far in the last week.

I'm just wondering how it's affecting the patient load where you work? Getting lots of cases? Did you get a flu shot? This could be as bad or worse than SARS hitting Toronto. We really can't afford for the staff to get sick.

Did your hospital provide flu shots for you this year??

[Aaron C.]

It's pretty bad here as well. The ER here is full of children. I think four have died in the state from it.

What is really freaking me out is this old man I was taking care of, who has no tv, no radio, no newspaper, he's non ambulatory and had no visitors, as well as not being able to communicate very well due to a trache, told me this (I held my stethoscope up to his mouth and could hear him that way), "There's going to be an epedemic. Lots of children will die"

Keep in mind that he has no access to information really, and those are the only words he has really communicated to me.

There is a radio in his room, but I don't think he likes it to be on.

Anyway, hearing that, and then all this flu stuff, has me kinda freaked out.

[mercynurse]

Interestingly...Dallas Fort worth area is supposedly hit hard t=with flu cases...however, ER that does the tests and sees 700 pts/wwk has shown that it isn't true. Yes patients are presenting with the symptoms, but the flu tests are neg! andybody else finding this? and no I never get a flu shot, do most nurses get them?

[medi]

shortbus that's creepy... very creepy!
Terrible power outages in the East Coast, bad storms hitting the Southeast, devastating fires in the west this year... and an old man with no access to news predicting a terrible epidemic..

Are we in some Stephen King movie??

Hi mercynurse!

Nope, I haven't ever gotten a flu shot & didn't this year either. Have to admit I considered it for the first time though- but then decided I wasn't in the high risk group so didn't.

The first kid we lost here though was an otherwise healthy 5 year old. What stuns me about the case is how rapidly he went downhill from first indication of symptoms to death. It was hours- not days. It struck me that it was similiar to the most severe forms of meningitis in it's rapid onset & progression- and that's scary.

Have any of you reading this forum cared for any kids with it yet?

[Derick]

I haven't see alot of flu's but one thing I have noticed is the amount of people on our floor currently isolated for MRSA and C Dif on the floor my current placement is on. In my section of 6 patients 4 were isolated with either positive MRSA or C-Diff tests. And then I had one on chemo precautions as well.

[Aaron C.]

if the % is that great I'd say it's the care that is causing it to be so prevalent...

What precautions are taken?

[Derick]

nurses gown, glove and mask with strict isolation to the patient and anything in the room, as well as all the other proper precautions, alot of these people have come in with these problems, I myself did not have the time to research where these people have come from, but the majority being senior citizens I am wondering if this maybe a problem in one of our Long Term Care Facilities, as well with the diseases involved I think if it were a floor problem that some of the nurses would have it, but none do. So it would be interesting to kind of follow the problem backwards.

Ona nother note I have been watching the flu progression in the States and it seems to be becoming a very serious threat this year. Things do not be as bad here in Canada, although I know one of our Maritime provinces has run out of its supply of vaccines.

[Kryss88]

We seem to be having our share of the flu, but no deaths that I am aware of. You know its bad when labor and delivery are seeing it.

Also, though my 2 year old had it. He was pretty sick for about 3 days before I took him to the doctor. Being the nurse that I am, I commented "I know its probably a virus, or the flu, and you cant do much but make him comfortable till it runs its course, but he is just miserable, and I cant watch it anymore" Well, to make a long story short, he had a bean growing in his nose that caused a severe sinus infection and that was causing his fever.

Just thought you guys could use a little humor. And after a round of antibiotics, and 4 days of hell with a 2 year old running 101-104 constantly..... he is doing better after the beanstock was removed =)

[mercynurse]

Kryss,
At least you took your guy in...obviously the "bean infection' wouldn't have gotten better without antibiotics! Kids do the darndest things!!
Merry Christmas,

[medi]

Kryss I can't help but ask.. how in the devil did he get a bean so stuck in his nose it started to grow??? Gawed.. sorry, but that's funny!