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H1N1 causing ERs work load to jump

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Sara French, 17, of Dayton receives the H1N1 vaccine nasal spray during the Warren County Health Department's free clinic.

Staff photo by Samantha Grier Sara French, 17, of Dayton receives the H1N1 vaccine nasal spray during the Warren County Health Department's free clinic.

By Tiffany Y. Latta, Staff Writer Updated 6:59 AM Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Emergency rooms at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s and other area hospitals have been inundated with patients suffering flu-like symptoms.

Children’s officials are now seeing about 700 patients a day, up from a typical busy day in the ER of 400 patients, said Kate Setter, a Children’s hospital spokeswoman.

Those numbers include the main campus in Cincinnati, the Liberty Twp. campus and the hospital’s urgent care facilities in Fairfield and Mason.

“All of our hospitals are busy, but Children’s is getting hit harder than our community hospitals,” said Tonda Francis, of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council.

Francis said health care providers assume the flu cases are all H1N1, a strain that President Barack Obama has declared a national emergency.

The declaration came on a weekend in which thousands nationwide stood in long lines for the H1N1 vaccine, including between 5,000 to 6,000 people in Butler County.

The national emergency declaration means that area hospitals can more easily set up alternate treatment and triage procedures to handle patient volumes if continue to surge.

But some fear it could cause panic and increase demand for the vaccine, which most area hospitals — with the exception of the Atrium Medical Center — had not received as of Monday, Oct. 26.

The Ohio Department of Health has ordered 595,200 doses of the vaccine for the virus, also known as swine flu.

The vaccine has been slow to arrive to the more than 5,000 hospitals and health care providers statewide due to the slower than expected H1N1 production, said ODH Spokesman Bret Atkins.

But Atkins said officials should begin receiving the vaccine sometime this week or the next few weeks.

“There are so many thousands of providers and a limited supply of the vaccine,’’ Atkins said. “There’s still more that is being manufactured and we expect this to be a multi-month process.’’

Atrium spokeswoman Wendy Parks said officials have about 700 doses of the vaccine and only inoculating health care providers.

She said she hopes Obama’s declaration doesn’t cause panic or a surge in patient volumes.

“It seems that the message is getting out in an understandable way so people don’t worry needlessly. Now, could that change? I don’t know.’’

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2180 or tlatta@coxohio.com

H1N1 prevention and Do’s and Don’ts

Use basic precaution:
Wash your hands cover the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing
Stay at home if you’re sick
Always monitor flu symptoms regardless of the type
Call your health care provider if you have asthma, diabetes or other chronic illness if you think you need medical attention
Don’t request notes for school absences at the ER
The following emergency warning signs require urgent medical attention for children:
Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish or gray skin color and/or purple or blue discoloration of the lips
Signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing, absence of urination, or in infants, a lack of tears when crying
Severe or persistent vomiting which may include being unable to keep liquids down
Inability to wake up or interact, is less responsive than normal and becomes confused
Irritability and lack of desire to be held
Flu-like symptoms that improve, but then return with a fever and worse cough
Seizures (such as uncontrolled convulsions)

The following emergency warning signs require urgent medical attention for adults:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Purple or blue discoloration of the lips
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing or absence of urination
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting, which may include being unable to keep liquids down
Flu-like symptoms that improve, but then return with fever and worse cough
Seizures

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ER rooms are not working harder! Yes their seeing more people, but their sending them home after registration and bill insurance companys. Anyone with flu like symptoms are screwed. Beware Ft. Hamilton hospital is the worst!!!

used
5:25 PM, 10/27/2009

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Heather,

Your child did receive the full age appropriate dose. Children under 10 yrs need a second age appropriate full dose of the H1N1 immunization in approx 28 days. The reason is because younger children's immune system needs an extra dose for some immunizations to work at full potential. Keep searching for locally offered clinics closer to the time your childs next dose is due.

Public Health Nurse
1:48 PM, 10/27/2009

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2 weeks ago the vaccine hit our county, modified live viruses, nasal mist, shots - call it what you want - the cases of h1N1 were moderately low 2 weeks ago - the government says vaccinate and everyone gets sick - something is wrong with this picture - should have just left well enough alone -

Government to Blame?
1:02 PM, 10/27/2009

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I leave my name on my id. Many people use the ER as a doctor's office because they can't or won't pay for medical service. Hinders ER performance for the life and death emergencies. This H1N1 does seem to be blown out of proportion. I wonder if the nannys in government want to keep people distracted from major policy change and foreign affairs with medical problems blown out of proportion. Remember the bird flu, I remember the last time there was a panic about swine flu, it seemed the same.

Jeffrey John Hodapp
12:37 PM, 10/27/2009

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You could have asked me a month ago what I thought about H1N1, I too would have believed that, "This H1N1 is being used to scare people into a panic". Now I regret not attempting to get the vaccine when I believed that everyone was overreacting. I'm healthy, never get sick and yet I tested possitive for H1N1. I suggest everyone get the vaccine and stop acting like H1N1 isn't a big deal, wouldn't you rather get the vaccine and lower your chances than catch it? Seriously whats it going to hurt?

D
10:04 AM, 10/27/2009

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