What do do when hit by flu-like symptoms
With the arrival of flu season, Morris Hospital's emergency room and both Immediate Care locations are seeing an increased number of patients with flu symptoms.
Physicians at Morris Hospital encourage people who become sick with flu symptoms to follow the recommendations provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"The CDC Web site is a great resource and clearly explains what to do if you get sick," says Dr. John Bolden, an infectious disease physician at Morris Hospital. "Essentially, CDC advises people who get sick with flu-like symptoms to stay home and avoid contact with other people, except to get medical care. Most people with H1N1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs. The same is true of seasonal flu."
According to Bolden, seasonal flu and H1N1 flu have similar symptoms, which may include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting.
Individuals with flu symptoms who are sick are encouraged to stay away from others as much as possible to keep from making them sick. CDC also recommends staying home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone.
The National Institutes of Health recommends contacting a physician if fever occurs in infants younger than 3 months. For infants 3-12 months, a physician should be contacted if fever is 102.2 or higher. Fevers that last longer than 24-48 hours in children 2 and under or 48-72 hours in children older than 2 and adults also warrants a call to a physician.
While most people with flu have mild illness, certain people are more susceptible to complications from the flu and should talk to a health care provider about whether they need to be examined if they get flu symptoms. This includes children younger than 5, and especially children younger than 2; people 65 and older; pregnant women; and people who have cancer, blood disorders, chronic lung disease, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disorders, liver disorder, neurological disorders, neuromuscular disorders and weakened immune systems.
For individuals who develop flu symptoms, the CDC also advises that the emergency room should be used only for those who are very sick, and individuals should not go to the emergency room if they are mildly ill.
"At this time, CDC is advising hospitals to perform H1N1 flu tests only on individuals who are at high risk for flu complications," says Mark Gibson, emergency medicine physician at Morris Hospital. "In most cases, the best treatment for the flu is staying home and getting plenty of rest, drinking clear fluids to keep from getting dehydrated, and taking over-the-counter remedies such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever or aches."
Gibson says this is a good time to review the general warning signs of medical emergencies. In children, signs of a medical emergency include fast breathing or trouble breathing, bluish skin color, not drinking enough fluids, not waking up or not interacting, being so irritable that the child does not want to be held, fever with a rash, or flu-like symptoms that get better but then return with a fever and worse cough.
In adults, the warning signs of a medical emergency include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, confusion, and severe or persistent vomiting.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has a hot line available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily to respond to questions. The number is 866-848-2094.
Information is also available on Morris Hospital's Web site, www.morrishospital.org. To listen to a telephone recording with H1N1 flu information, call Morris Hospital at 815-942-2932 and press 1.
Morris Hospital and Healthcare Centers reminds everyone to practice the following measures, which are always recommended to help prevent the spread of germs:
•Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and then throw away the tissue in the trash.
•Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based band cleaners, especially after you cough or sneeze.
•Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
•Avoid close contact with sick people.
