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]

Hong Kong

http://www.news.gov.hk/en/category/healthandcommunity/090922/txt/090922en05002.htm

A 37-year-old man with a good health record died of human swine flu today at the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital.

He developed flu symptoms on September 1 and was admitted to the hospital's isolation ward on September 5.

He was confirmed to have contracted human swine flu the same day and was treated with Tamiflu and antibiotics. His condition continued to deteriorate that day, and he was transferred to the intensive care unit and put on ventilation support. He died at 8.35am today.

(hat tip pfi/pixie)

[indigo girl]

Tokyo, Japan

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=298497&postcount=1

These two children are said to be stable, but because they had no health problems initially, I am tracking these cases.

Department of Health and Welfare Headquarters Kyoto infection Nitto

September 25, 2009, from the health centers in Tokyo, reported that patients fitted with a ventilator for two new flu so was severe pneumonia cases, and overview of each such case, the Notice as follows.

The first example: Overview

1-year-old male patient who lives in Tokyo. Sun in September 2009 from 38.0 advent of 19-degree heat. To consult with a doctor soon, but start with a diagnosis of flu medication Tamiflu, after returning home, an increase for the wheezing, the same day that another seek medical attention.

Recognition of marked hypoxia and pneumonia after emergency intubation was changing hospital for ventilator management. Conducted promptly after changing hospital influenza kit was positive for type A, September 24 to conduct genetic testing, has confirmed pandemic influenza.

Currently, the ventilator attached. Being treated with antibiotics. His condition is stable. No underlying disease.

The second case: Overview[/b]

4-year-old male patient who lives in Tokyo. September 2009 and emerged from 22nd Sun fever of 39.0 degrees on September 23, where you seek medical attention on the chest X-rays, was admitted to hospital for pneumonia.

Began to suspect the flu medication Tamiflu, because of worsening respiratory condition, fitted with a ventilator. September 24, three rapid kit were positive for influenza A second type of genetic testing carried out was confirmed pandemic influenza.

Currently, the ventilator attached. Being treated with antibiotics. His condition is stable. No underlying disease.

[oramar]

They announced two local flu deaths in the area(Western Pa) on the TV news this morning. I searched the news paper for more info but couldn't find any. The only thing I could find in local newspaper was an article about a flu death in early Sept up north. I don't know if they are counting that or not. I am interested in hearing about ages and preexisting conditions. I guess we will be hearing more about the local outbreak over next few days now that G20 is over.

[dscrn]

I wonder how they are realy going to keep track of the virus...sems now docs are just following standard flu precautions-my granson was sick (vomiting) yesterday-ped just told my daughter to watch him for resp difficulty...

[oramar]

I wonder how they are realy going to keep track of the virus...sems now docs are just following standard flu precautions-my granson was sick (vomiting) yesterday-ped just told my daughter to watch him for resp difficulty...

They stopped counting cases months ago. Now, they are merely counting hospitalized cases and deaths.

[oramar]

Tokyo, Japan

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=298497&postcount=1

These two children are said to be stable, but because they had no health problems initially, I am tracking these cases.

There was a network news article on Friday morning that said so many small children were being affected that pharmacies are running out of liquid Tamiflu.

[indigo girl]

Ft. Worth, Texas

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/092909dnmetfortworth.1c5325484.html

The Fort Worth school district said today it has thoroughly cleaned a school after a student died over the weekend.

Chloe Lindsey, 14, died at Cook Children’s Medical Center on Sunday night, four days after showing signs of illness, her mother told WFAA-TV (Channel 8).

Tammy Osborne said her daughter had no underlying health condition when she first exhibited low-grade fever on Wednesday. She stayed home from Leonard Middle School on Thursday and went to the doctor on Friday.

Osborne said she took her daughter to the hospital at 5 a.m. Sunday, and she died about 8 p.m. Doctors said the child suffered from influenza and viral pneumonia.

“I want everybody to know how fast this happened,” the grieving mother told WFAA. “I tried to do everything the doctor said.”

Sandra Parker, medical director for the Tarrant County Health Department, would not confirm the child’s identity but referred a reporter to an entry on the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's web site that listed Chloe.

Parker would not say whether or not the swine flu was a possibility in the death. Further test results are due Tuesday.

If Chloe’s death were confirmed to be related to the swine flu, or H1N1, it would be among the first locally in which the victim did not have underlying health problems.

(hat tip pfi/homebody)

[indigo girl]

Knoxville, Tennessee

http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/62405642.html

I posted on this case earlier, and swine flu is now confirmed.

Tina Henson Vick, 43, who was a nurse at Select Specialty Hospital at Saint Mary's died, and her family believed it was because of H1N1.

Now that the CDC has confirmed it, they wanted to get their story out.

Tina Vick's family wants everyone to know that the H1N1 virus moves quickly and it can affect anyone.

"No one thought she was going to die," Ronnie Dunn, Tina's uncle said.

From a back-row pew at his church Monday, Dunn said he felt comfortable for the first time, talking about his niece's death.

When doctors handed the paperwork to Tina's family, they took notes: verified by the CDC.

Influenza H1n1 positive.

"From the day she was born, she was smiling and she never quit smiling. And she just had the sweetest personality in the world," Dunn commented as he looked at old pictures.

Dunn was the only family member up for talking.

And he says they all think it is important they get Tina's story out.

"Tina Michelle Henson Vick is the first confirmed death in Knox County with the H1N1 swine flu," Dunn repeated.

Vick's death, he says, is noteworthy because she was healthy and she was a nurse.

"I think she was exposed to someone while she was at work because there were seven or eight other nurses who went home with flu-like symptoms that weekend," Dunn told Volunteer TV.

But Tina Henson Vick was the only one who wasn't able to overcome it.

"Maybe ten people can be exposed to this and nine will be sick for three or four days and recover, and one person may die from it," Dunn said.

Vick was ill for three days at home before she decided to go to the hospital. From the flu, she developed double pneumonia. Fifteen days after getting sick, she died.

[lamazeteacher]

How loud and how many times must people be told that any case of flu-like symptoms is to be treated as H1N1?!!!!

15 days later, is too long!!! 12 days in hospital waiting for lab results is too long!! Tamiflu (or the other anti-virals) given at the earliest time she presented to hospital, might have saved this nurse's life!

As nurses, we know better than to tell doctors who treat us, how to do their job. However if we know we have flu s/s, and no Tamiflu is prescribed, we'd darn well better open our mouths - and not to expose our tonsils. Please, please, repeat after me: "I'd feel better knowing I have an anti-viral on board, doctor. You would too, wouldn't you?" then drink fluids as you never have before, and believe you will get well. Thinking that the odds are you'll survive, just isn't enough.

Let's not be a sad statistic.

[lamazeteacher]

Reading the article in Knoxville's "Volunteer" newspaper, I clicked on the "UT lineman............" article. He was another person who died (H1N1 test not confirmed) without having a prior condition. It seemed that he put his obligations as a football coach, above saving his life, and exposed others to his illness.

The newspaper reported that Tina's mother became ill, and her physician is making the same mistake that happened with her daughter. He's waiting for the results of her H1N1 test!

There was no mention that Tamiflu or another anti-viral has been given to her, either.

H1N1 cannot be treated as other infections have been!!! Yet how many times as an Infection Control Nurse, did I take a culture on patients when the doctor hastily treated empirically with antibiotics, without doing that.......

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

The parents of the 14 year old were on our local news this morning. Just heart breaking. I sure hope the vaccine works and that there is no mutation. No parent should have to go through this. She was a beautiful girl who ran track and excelled at school....

[indigo girl]

Whitfield County, Georgia

http://www.newschannel9.com/news/div-985169-local-moorer.html

A 7-year-old girl from Whitfield County died this morning in a local hospital from the H1N1 virus according to Jennifer Moorer with the North Georgia Health District.

"We are very sad for family," Moorer said. "The child did not have underlying medical condition that we know of."

Moorer stresses that deaths from H1N1 alone is rare, adding most who have H1N1 recover and are fine.

She also advises people not to flock to doctors offices at the first sign of symptoms. "Call your doctor first before exposing others to what you have."

She urges parents not to panic but if a child is sick to stay home until they have spent 24 hours without symptoms.

The Health District is working with the Dalton Public School system and how to handle the effects on students both physcially and emotionally with the death.

Moorer adds the seasonal flu shot will help build up immunity towards the H1N1 virus.

(hat tip flutrackers/shiloh)

UPDATE

Dalton, Georgia

http://www.ajc.com/news/dalton-second-grader-dies-151690.html

A Dalton elementary school student has died from illness related to swine flu.

The Dalton Daily Citizen reported Thursday that Candy Chen, 7, died early Wednesday morning.

The girl was in the second grade at City Park Elementary School in the northwest Georgia town.

School principal Rick Little sent a letter home to parents on Wednesday, telling them that Candy had died after a brief hospitalization.

"Although we are not at liberty to release a student's medical information, please know that we have been in contact with this student's family and medical officials and have not been advised to make any changes in our student health and safety protocols," Little said in the letter.

"This afternoon, Candy's teacher, the school counselor and I shared this news with her classmates," he said.

Jennifer Moorer, a spokeswoman for the North Georgia Health District, told the newspaper that this was the first swine flu, or H1N1 virus, death in Whitfield County. She said the child had no underlying medical conditions.

(hat tip pfi/pixie)