When to come to the hospital during a flu outbreak

With all of the news about H1N1 deaths, the public is scared. Education and knowledge is a huge step into staying healthy through this flu season.

I want to talk a little bit about when to go see your doctor or local urgent care clinic and when you might consider going to the hospital.

First, individuals who think they have symptoms of the flu should call or go see their primary care physician. If you do not have a primary care physician, you should go visit your local urgent care clinic.

Individuals with flu-like symptoms (body aches, fever of 100 or 101 degrees or coughing) rarely need to go to the hospital. However the following symptoms might indicate the need for hospital/ER evaluation:

• Difficulty breathing or breathing too fast


• Feeling confused or unable to stay awake


• A high fever that will not break


• Anyone who suffers from organ disease (liver, heart, brain, lung, etc.)


• Anyone who suffers from cancer


• Women who are pregnant


• Any patient who is immuno-compromised (eg. HIV patients, organ transplant recipients)


• Patients who are elderly (65 years or older)


• Anyone who feels sicker than they usually do with the flu
  

If you have children who have flu-like symptoms, you may consider visiting your local children's hospital when:

• They have a fever of 101 degrees or higher


• They are struggling to breathe, experiencing rapid breathing or spells of not breathing


• If they display bluish discoloration of the skin, specifically in the fingernails, toenails and lips
  

These symptoms are not complete or exclusive. As always, listen to your body. A primary care physician is equipped to treat flu-like symptoms. People often times think running to the emergency room is the best option. It is a good option for people who have serious flu-like complications. However, if you just feel kind of bad and want flu medicine, the ER is not the best place for you. What many don't realize is that the ER is still taking care of really sick patients (trauma patients, heart attack patients, etc.) who do not need to be surrounded by people who have the flu. I am not discouraging you from coming to the ER if you feel like your flu case is serious, but you might consider your local doctor first.

Also, one more important thing to remember - it is very important that children and individuals who are sick refrain from visiting loved ones who are in the hospital!

More to come tomorrow on the flu. Please leave any comments or questions you might have and we will do our best to get a response to you!
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- Whitney Jodry
Public Information Officer