Seeing a lot of Flu symptoms, or is it just media hype..??

Editorial Team / Moderator · Nov 3, 2009

We have seen a TON of flu. Our peds ED is being overrun, too, to the point where they are paying premium $$$ for RNs from other units to work 4-hours blocks. My last couple of shifts I also had two patients from two different nursing homes with Flu B (seasonal). Ugh. I think it's just a preview of the next few months ...

sbyramRN · Nov 3, 2009

I work in a large pediatric hospital in the ER, and we are seeing a TON of H1N1. Most go home with your basic flu education, but some are being intubated and sent to the PICU. I have seen normally healthy children who come back a week later after being diagnosed with the H1N1 and they now have horrible pneumonia.

Altra, BSN, RN · Nov 3, 2009

This has been my experience so far, too.

Busloads of people with mild to moderate URI s/s, many not even febrile. A few with underlying respiratory issues get a CXR. Kids whose parent have failed to give antipyretics get a dose and a script for Tamiflu - mostly everyone else just gets discharged with the common sense discharge instructions: rest, fluids, limit social contacts.

The waste of resources due to lack of common sense is mind-boggling.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Nov 3, 2009

The waste of resources due to lack of common sense is mind-boggling.

Yep. But then we hear about how great it is for our census. WHATEVER. My inner tinfoil-hat-wearing person wonders if hospital PR people aren't stirring the pot to frighten the masses into the ED for flu tests. Ha.

Then on the other side of the spectrum, I had a patient from a nursing home who was sick for a week before being sent in ... she had flu, pneumonia, CHF, and sats of 87 on her little nasal cannula. Poor thing went to the ICU.

nuangel1, BSN, RN · Nov 3, 2009

This has been my experience so far, too.
Busloads of people with mild to moderate URI s/s, many not even febrile. A few with underlying respiratory issues get a CXR. Kids whose parent have failed to give antipyretics get a dose and a script for Tamiflu - mostly everyone else just gets discharged with the common sense discharge instructions: rest, fluids, limit social contacts.
The waste of resources due to lack of common sense is mind-boggling.

this is what we are seeing as well extra 4o pts a day with flu or cold sx high fevers 103 to 105 .a couple really sick teens to 20 admitted with pneumonia both no helath probs before .several elderly with copd and pneumonia very sick in icu .confirmed h1ni but we are only testing admitted and pregnant pts.lots of tylenol motrin and tamiflu.

MassED, BSN, RN · Nov 3, 2009

interesting to see what's occurring in other areas. Thanks for the responses.

Altra, BSN, RN · Nov 3, 2009

But then we hear about how great it is for our census. WHATEVER. My inner tinfoil-hat-wearing person wonders if hospital PR people aren't stirring the pot to frighten the masses into the ED for flu tests. Ha.

Oh yeah, I hear ya on that one.

Loralai · Nov 3, 2009

I don't think we should be too quick to blame the influx of people on them "lacking common sense" or having to teach them the "basics". I have seen several media reports now that seem to TELL people to not take any chances, go to the Doctor/Hospital if you start to exhibit flu symptoms, don't wait as this is a fast progressing illness, etc. It's conflicting information. One day you see a report in your local newspaper of a perfectly healthy child dying from it in a matter of a week. That weekend you or your child starts to feel sick. In their minds it comes down to "am I going to take a chance?" Do you wait it out over the weekend to try to get in to see your Doctor? After all, if the ED's are swamped imagine what the Pediatrician's and Family Doctors are experiencing!

We are telling people, who aren't trained in the medical field, who don't have degrees, to assess and self-diagnose how serious or not serious their symptoms may be. Should they err on the side of caution? And on the flip side, can they afford in these economic times to miss that much work if it is the flu? They've all heard through the media that Tamiflu must be given within 48 hours.

I think it's just a large amount of information that we are expecting non-medical individuals to weigh and decide.

MassED, BSN, RN · Nov 3, 2009

I don't think we should be too quick to blame the influx of people on them "lacking common sense" or having to teach them the "basics". I have seen several media reports now that seem to TELL people to not take any chances, go to the Doctor/Hospital if you start to exhibit flu symptoms, don't wait as this is a fast progressing illness, etc. It's conflicting information. One day you see a report in your local newspaper of a perfectly healthy child dying from it in a matter of a week. That weekend you or your child starts to feel sick. In their minds it comes down to "am I going to take a chance?" Do you wait it out over the weekend to try to get in to see your Doctor? After all, if the ED's are swamped imagine what the Pediatrician's and Family Doctors are experiencing!
We are telling people, who aren't trained in the medical field, who don't have degrees, to assess and self-diagnose how serious or not serious their symptoms may be. Should they err on the side of caution? And on the flip side, can they afford in these economic times to miss that much work if it is the flu? They've all heard through the media that Tamiflu must be given within 48 hours.
I think it's just a large amount of information that we are expecting non-medical individuals to weigh and decide.

that's kindof my point. Misinformation is out there - the media doesn't help. We're not getting all of the information from the news sources, so that adds to confusion. I definitely can understand as a parent - and we all know that common sense isn't really all that common, anyway. The media just doesn't help - my children's pediatrician told me that it's just insane in the office with visits and phonecalls - just out of control.

From where I am, so far, the influx of flu-like illness has been hyped up - there have been many patients checking in with flu-like symptoms, but turn out as another viral illness and they're discharged. I just see this getting worse over the winter, with regular seasonal flu.

I suppose I expect people to use common sense with their children, but that is expecting a lot, I have come to learn over the years. It doesn't take any kind of degree for common sense - keeping your sick child/adult out of the general population to present spread of infection/germs. This is easily understand by my kids, who are 10 and 6. They are teaching this in the schools. Just yesterday I got a recorded phone call that went out to all the families within the town I live. The phone call was from the Superintendent of schools stating "if your child is sick, has a fever, please keep them home, as we have had outbreaks of flu-like illness.... the phone call when on..." Again, I think this just fuels the fire. I know we all need information, but I just want accurate information, not from many different sources. It's a firestorm.

I just want the media to report what is actually occurring and to not report information that can be open to interpretation, since we all know that can swing any direction.

By the way, my eldest has a fever of 103 today, with a cough - started yesterday. He is better today, but yesterday complained of feeling "weak in the legs." I'm assuming it's a "flu-like illness" just because of his symptoms.... but he's drinking fluids, orange juice, vitamins, and I'm controlling his fever, and keeping him from others. Oh, and a few Xbox games to boot. He's a happy camper.

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · Nov 3, 2009

It seems that everyone and their mother is coming into the ED I work at with the slightest sign of "flu-like" symptoms. Lots of anxious parents bringing in their children.

Nevertheless, I don't doubt how serious this is. There is a story in the local newspaper today about a young woman in Canon City, with no underlying health conditions, now fighting for her life in the ICU at a hospital in Colorado Springs. I don't blame people for erring on the side of caution.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Nov 3, 2009

Common sense is decidedly uncommon! I don't blame any of the parents bringing their kids in -- the news is scary because they focus on these otherwise healthy kids who have died from the flu, or complications from the flu. But we're also seeing people who bring their kids in because they sneezed, or have a little sniffle -- no cough, no fever. One literally had 15 minutes (yes, minutes) of symptoms -- the mother brought her kid "straight over from Walmart!!!" with 15 minutes of sniffles. There is a lot of information out there for people to process, that's for sure.