No Prior Existing Conditions but Dead Anyway

[indigo girl]

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/48007842.html

Who would think that a normally healthy woman would die so swiftly from influenza in June?

Could you ever have imagined such a thing? No wonder her family and friends are in shock.

So why did it happen?

Barbara Davis, 48, was healthy just a week ago. She had dinner with her mother Josephine last Friday night. But just hours after that dinner, Josephine got a phone call.

"My friend, he called me and told me Barbara was real sick. And I said, "Well, she wasn't sick when I left, so what's the matter?" Josephine Davis said.

Barbara told her mother that she was ok. But the next day, things got worse. She had trouble breathing, and she was shaking. She could barely walk into the hospital.

"She tried to talk to people, but she just couldn't talk," Josephine Davis said.

Doctors treated her for two days, but they couldn't save her. They believe she died from swine flu.

"They've never seen nothing like that, what she had. That infection just went through her body, attacking her kidney, her lungs, her liver. Everything," said Josephine Davis.

The Milwaukee Health Department confirmed on Friday a Milwaukee adult with no underlying medical conditions died from swine flu, though they haven't confirmed Barbara Davis was that victim.

Barbara's family knows all too well how serious swine flu can be.

"Everybody is just in a shock. The people that I talked to today, they are frightened. Because it happened all of a sudden," Josephine Davis said.

More than 1,800 people have caught swine flu in Milwaukee alone. The city's Health Department is stressing that if you are mildly ill with flu symptoms, you should call your doctor. If your symptoms are serious or if you have mild symptoms that are getting worse, you should see a doctor right away.

http://www.wisn.com/health/19751526/detail.html

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner said 48-year-old Barbara Davis died Thursday in the ICU after being diagnosed with the flu strain.

The health department said, unlike Milwaukee's first swine flu victim, Davis did not have any "underlying medical conditions" that would have put her at a greater risk for the disease.

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=248304&postcount=7

This post was written by Dr. Gratten Woodsen, MD commenting over at flutrackers on this unfortunate woman's case.

The decedent is described as having fulminate multi-organ failure that developed rapidly resulting in death 48 hours after onset and despite intensive medical therapy in an ICU including all the bells and whistles.

The attending physicians told the mother that they had never seen anything like this before and I believe them. So did she. No one has seen anything like this since 1918. In 1918 many doctors said the say thing after dealing with their first cases of Spanish Flu and for them too it was a great surprise at least until those that didn't die from the virus themselves had seen it so many times that it was no longer unique.

There are numerous descriptions from the 1918 pandemic that match the one above but no where else in medical history do we find anything remotely similar. This is why the doctors in Milwaukee were so shocked by what they saw.

How many other North American victims had similar pathology? Why have the autopsy and clinical findings from the deaths in Mexico, the US and Canada been suppressed?

I know from press reports that there have been other US deaths where multi-organ failure was present. Is this common among those who have died of Swine Flu or rare? Are the findings similar to those seen in 1918 or not?

(hat tip flutrackers/skatman)

[indigo girl]

The UK

http://www.colerainetimes.co.uk/news/Family-devastated-at-loss-of.5541906.jp

The 30-year-old, who was with the Territorial Army, is thought to be the first UK serviceman to have fallen victim with to swine flu.

Bombardier Porter's heartbroken parents Ross and Esther and younger brother Jason were supported by close family members during a private religious service in their family home. His burial took place at Portstewart Cemetery.

A statement from the family said:

"Lee was a fit, healthy and active young man, who tragically died on July 31, 2009 from respiratory failure and pneumonia, caused by the H1N1 virus. He had no underlying health problem and completed a full Army medical in May of this year.

"Lee's full time occupation was with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. He was very much a man who understood the meaning of the word "service" and contributed so much to the nation.

"The devastation of losing Lee has greatly affected the entire family circle and friends. Lee had time for everyone around him and took great interest in all of us. He was big hearted and witty with a caring nature.

* THE Ministry of Defence has apologised to the family of Northern Ireland's first swine flu fatality.

Initially the MoD said the 30-year-old bombadier from Coleraine had suffered underlying medical conditions which were exacerbated after he contracted the H1N1 virus.

But last Thursday the MoD was forced to withdraw this assessment after concerns were raised by Mr Porter's grieving family.

His parents had become distressed by media speculation, fearing important information may have been kept from them.

A spokesman from the MoD said:"The MoD has apologised unreservedly to the family and for anything we said that we indicated caused concern at that tragic time."

(hat tip PFI/pixie)

[indigo girl]

Gujarat, India

http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/12/stories/2009081260671300.htm

No mention of any prior health issues, they sound puzzled as to why this child died.

A seven-year-old girl died at the Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad government civil hospital in Vadodara.

Health Secretary Ravi Saxena said Arya Borde was admitted to the S.S.G. hospital on August 5 in a critical condition.

She had been on ventilator support since August 7. She did not develop any viral pneumonitis patch till August 9. Later the National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi, which tested her blood and other samples, confirmed swine flu. She became critical on Tuesday morning and died in the afternoon.

Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas said the death was baffling as she was provided timely and correct treatment right from the beginning. Perhaps because of her tender age, she could not fight the virus, he said.

The Bright School, Vasna branch, where she was studying, has been closed till August 16.

Though she was not going to the school for the past 10 days, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation authorities sent medical teams to the institution to run a check on all students, and none was found affected.

(hat tip PFI/pixie)

[RedWeasel, RN]

A volunteer with special needs kids, an EMT,a firefighter-to me these 3 are all HCW/service/first responder deaths. There seems a trend. Also weren't two police officers killed? We are very at risk I think.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Scary stuff. These are the people we need to care for others. The one young woman had both types of flu? Has that become common?

[lamazeteacher]

indigogirl's post #83 refers us to a newspaper item which has a slightly different approach to her quote.

The heading is that this 30 year old HCW(? because it doesn't say when she worked last, before becoming ill) died 14 days following 3 separate visits to medical/HCWs - 2 of which were at the same ER which admitted her only when her condition was grave, without providing a prescription for Tamiflu or another appropriate antiviral medication for her, 12 days after she'd first been seen there and her test the first time, was positive for H1N1!

At a clinic and at the ER twice she was referred her to her PCP (which she may not have currently had (possibly owed money to), since she worked as a volunteer (according to item#83 in this thread) and may have been uninsured! I suspect that it was her lack of insurance that resulted in such shoddy care. Hospitals don't admit or administer timely medications unless someone is gravely ill, if there is no HC insurance. That could explain why she wasn't admitted until that state of the illness was reached! This era will go down in history as the (greedy, self serving) "dark ages" of health care!

WHO and the CDC have been issuing bulletins for months, saying any case seen with s/s of flu should be treated AS IF THE PATIENT HAD SWINE (H1N1) flu! That means give antivirals! IT IS PANDEMIC!

The newspaper article erroneously stated that H1N1 is a combination of different flu viruses, which is technically somewhat true - but the decisive factor is the fact that it is a mutated, extremely potentially dangerous novel flu. It did say that the patient's parents are suing, and I think that's appropriate. She wasn't given Tamiflu, according to them and I believe she should have been given a pregnancy test to see if she was at high risk, the first time she went to the ER.

Since she survived for 2 weeks after being diagnosed, on July24, it is doubtful that she was pregnant, but that was unknown the first time she went in. Any time a woman of childbearing age (with her reproductive organs intact) is seen with possible H1N1, the diagnosis of a pregnancy that could endanger her further, must be explored!

It is very sad that H1N1 seems to have been relegated a "back seat" as angry people fight vocally and aggressively over a public health care bill, in Town Hall meetings held to identify purposely planted untruths. The bill will benefit those who we in the USA always have accepted as our responsibility, by way of state and federal health and social care programs (WIC, Medicare, medicaid/medical, Food Stamp, etc.). SHAME!

Of course the insurance companies, fearing for their slightly diminished but still bulging bank and investment accounts, have escalated the issue of passing a bill that might be chosen by individuals as well as employers, as a less expensive health care alternative. Yet they're the ones protesting that it goes against capitalism and free enterprise!

I can understand that they are fighting for their very existance, but that doesn't forgive outright lies and fear mongering. Politicians spreading those untruths, especially Sarah Paltin using her Downs' syndrome child are truly the worst of villains!

Add to those characters, doctors who ally with their employers in providing substandard care to possibly uninsured people, and we are in the darkest of ages -of character, and medicine. Surely a nurse might have spoken to the doctor in each ER visit this patient made, about writing a prescription for an (comparatively inexpensive) antiviral to this patient who is surely a martyr of many issues!

[indigo girl]

San Diego, California

http://www.examiner.com/x-18953-San-Diego-Headlines-Examiner~y2009m8d12-3-deaths-from-swine-flu-in-San-Diego-had-no-underlying-medical-conditions

The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) has just announced that three deaths associated with the pandemic H1N1 Influenza virus had no prior underlying medical conditions.

The three deaths were a 32-year old male, a 33-year old female and a 49-year old female. Their names have not been released.

There have been 1005 confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu, which includes 16 deaths.

The HHSA is asking people with any flu-like symptoms to remain home for at least 24 hours AFTER your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.

(hat tip fluwiki/oremus)

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

All of a sudden it is back in the news a little. Hopefully they are really preparing as best as they can. I have decided that if we have the chance both my 50 year old husband and I will take the vaccine. I may even volunteer with mass vaccinations if needed if my employer allows me too. Going to be an interesting fall......

[indigo girl]

I was thinking of doing the flu clinics also. They are going to need lots of help.

They are still battling it out at the IOM meeting going on in Washington about whether or not we should use surgical masks or N95.

I have to say that nobody has yet come up with solid reasons for why we are not using the N95. The excuse of saying that you can get the disease in the community is not a good reason to deny that level of protection at work.

There has been plenty of testimony that surgical masks were not designed to protect you. That is what the N95 does. And, just because staff don't want to use it, is not a good reason either.

I am getting very disgusted listening to some of what is being said. They will wrap up the meeting and make their recommendations for us this afternoon when they return from lunch. This will run until 5PM today.

Listen in if you can. They are deciding your fate, so to speak...

http://video.nationalacademies.org/ramgen/broadcast/live.rm

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

I wish i could listen at work, but I have subject visits. Thank you so much for keeping us updated and please give another one at the end.

[indigo girl]

Dunnedin, New Zealand

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/08/18/1245c2150e08

Sounds like their first wave is ending in New Zealand. These seemingly random deaths of otherwise healthy people are strange, but sometimes occur even with seasonal flu.

A Dunedin woman has become the 15th person to die in New Zealand from swine flu.

The Ministry of Health says the 30-year-old had no underlying medical conditions and died on Sunday.

The ministry says the number of people going to the doctor with flu continues to fall, providing further indication that the swine flu pandemic is abating.

There are 20 people in hospital with swine flu or its complications, 11 of whom are in intensive care and nine in general wards.

Western Australia

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/wa-swine-flu-death-toll-rises-to-15-20090818-eoxu.html

A 37-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy, both of whom died in Perth hospitals this month, have succumbed to the virus while having no underlying medical conditions.

Northern Ireland

http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=98212

The victim was from the east coast and it is believed that he contracted the influenza virus from another person in Ireland.

...it is understood the victim did not have an apparent underlying health condition, as has been the case in most other deaths.

(major hat tip to pixie at pfi for the info on all of these cases)

[indigo girl]

Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

http://www.mvtimes.com/marthas-vineyard/news/2009/08/20/h1n1-death.php

A 26-year old Martha's Vineyard resident who died August 14 is the first confirmed H1N1-related death on the Island, and the 11th death in Massachusetts, according to state public health officials.

Canisters at several local stores ask for donations to transport Mr. Barbosa's body back to Brazil for burial.

The man, Elton Barbosa of Oak Bluffs, died at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston after he was transported off the Island earlier last week. He was a native of Brazil and worked on the Island as a painter, according to several acquaintances.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed the H1N1-related death on Monday. In a press release, DPH said the victim had no known underlying health conditions, but released no other information about the case. "Every death from flu is tragic, but it is even more so when it involves a young person," said DPH Commissioner John Auerbach. "This case is also a reminder of how serious influenza can be, and why we are focused so intently on preparations for the upcoming flu season."

(hat tip flutrackers/windwalker)

[indigo girl]

Pretoria, South Africa

http://www.news24.com/Content/World/SwineFlu/1255/6658d7b9dcc2429bad7d11deac9c10d3/20-08-2009%2009-22/Gauteng_records_first_H1N1_death

This is yet another very difficult story to read...

A father from Pretoria has spoken about his grief after his daughter died of H1N1 flu earlier this week.

"My baby girl was right all along, she didn't make her 21st birthday," said Christo Pretorius, 52, from Andeon, east of Pretoria, on Wednesday following the death of his daughter Annique, 20.

"This thing is getting to me. You wonder why it wasn't rather one of us older people. I had a pink coffin made for her, and the money I would have spent on her 21st birthday will now pay for her funeral."

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed on Wednesday that Annique was the first H1N1 flu death in Gauteng, and the seventh fatality in the country.

According to Pretorius, she had no underlying illnesses.

(hat tip flutrackers/dutchy)