15 SNF R Out 2 Hospital--Any other with widespread flu/uri?

Nurses General Nursing

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This is a question I wanted to pose to all working in the nursing homes or just in general.....

We gave our 90 residents flu shots approx 3 months ago....to those that accepted which was the vast majority....also, the vast majority of our employees also accepted the flu vaccine.

We had to send out a total of 15 residents over the course of 2-3 days for resp distress/fever/etc to the hospital...almost all with the dx of flu, a couple with URI, and 2 with pneumonia as thier DX. Our employees are dropping like flies with it, staffing supermondo short today...yesterday we saw them coming down with it and of course they looked like death warmed over b4 they left at the end of thier shift. Most of them called in today and the ones that came back today being as sick as they are were sent home. I myself am beginning to come down with it now ....i work in the MDS office and have been so swamped the past few days that I haven't really had much resident contact...and I wash my hands very frequently.

Anybody else getting hit like this? Think the flu vacc were bad?

Just wondering...b.c. we sent out 15 and probably going to be sending out more over the next few days as their symptoms get worse. We have pharm bring in a large amt of depomedrol so we will have it on hand when it all hits.

just wanted your thoughts and to see how other facilities were going.

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Specializes in Addictions, Corrections, QA/Education.

UGH! That sucks. I work in an acute care rehab and havent had anything YET! I havent gotten a flu shot (I am pregnant too)

What state are you in?

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Arkansas....

During our stand up meeting this morning we were mulling over the fear of possibly having to quarentine...it was as much an exaggeration as it was a possibility...

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I'm in tennessee and our facility is getting hit bad right now with some kind of virus.

We have kept them in their rooms during meals, etc. Now it seems to just be jumping from one hall to another:o

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I have the flu now. Let me tell you, it's bad. If you have a pt c/o flu sx please know, they aren't kidding. This is the worst I have felt in years. I am recoving faster than most and I feel like dirt.

I've had the flu before but not like this. My skin actually hurts. Putting lotion on is very uncomfortable to my skin. Muscles are tender just to the touch. I don't have joint aches, I have joint PAIN. Sharp pains. I am typing and have to stop because of sharp pain from my wrist. Walking hurts because of sharp pain from my knees.

Honestly, my intent isn't to whine (I have an entire thread for that! LOL) My intent is that I have a question. Why is it getting worse year after year?

I don't do LTC anymore but I did give a majority of my patients flu injections and it doesn't seem to have made a difference. They are getting sick at rates of those without flu injections.

I posted a question on an MD board the other day, I asked if they were prescribing Amantidine or Tamiflu. They ARE and it IS working. If you have had OR not had, the flu shot this year... if need be take Amantidine as a prophy. That's what my ER docs on this board are suggesting. Amantidine covers the type of flu of this season (type A, I believe).

Edit to add: Arizona, here.

Don't get this folks, it REALLY sucks~

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:imbar Unfortunely, the only time i got the flu shot was my last. I got sicker than who knows what. I should have known better and let my body fight the disease. I don't believe in that vaccine. In elderly, those are unfortunely the side effects they get and because of their sensitivity to drugs and low immune system instead of the vaccine working for them, it actually backfires on them. Think about before there was no such thing as the flu shot at least not for me, so whenever you introduce something to your body, the body's immune recognition system works like that in the elderly.

same thing with antibiotics, if young people are put on strong antibiotic for slight infections, when they get to an old age, they are resistant to every ATB known to humankind.

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OMG, i'm dying. I "thought" it had hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday! I was wrong. I feel like I have been hit by a mack truck...Mucinex isn't helping like it did yesterday...i gotta get in to a doc soon....:- ( that should be easy? *rolls eyes*

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Is this what is going around your facility. Primary symptoms being upper and lower GI with some respiratory involvement, also muscle aches and some fever. First 3 to 5 days were the worst but did not completely better for week. Several residents and one employee were tested for influenza but we were told it was negative.

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Can you track it to a certain assigmnet, hall, wing?

Get out the hand gells and spread them around like crazy. Ask visitors to limit their selves (probably can't with the holidays tho) You can mini quarentine too...keep in rooms. Make sure housekeeping is cleaning well. And make sure you have tons of fluids on hand and if needed Ivs

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OMG, i'm dying. I "thought" it had hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday! I was wrong. I feel like I have been hit by a mack truck...Mucinex isn't helping like it did yesterday...i gotta get in to a doc soon....:- ( that should be easy? *rolls eyes*

You can use my thread to whine if you want, it actually helps! It's called, "My Face Feels Big." As you may or may not know (depending on what stage of the flu you are in) your face will feel big, your eyeballs will itch, your everything will hurt... it's just awful.

AMANTIDINE!!!! HURRY. It only helps if you take it within 24-48 hours of the onset of sx!

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