H1N1 and Pre-Hospital Care

Last week, my daughter got the flu. The doctors office tests for influenza, but not specifically for H1N1 or the “swine flu”. The doctor said that she tested positive for the flu and they don’t test for swine flu, but that it was the only flu going around (at least in our area). Therefore, more than likely she had H1N1. Was I worried? Somewhat. Obviously I did not want my daughter to become a statistic of the swine flu. However, I have tried my best to understand H1N1; what it is and what it isn’t.

Some of my neighbors looked at us as if they should burn the block to keep it from spreading. I assured them that they had nothing to worry about. We kept my daughter out of school for the week.

Her symptoms started last Friday. I was at work. My wife called Urgent care….They told her to go to the ER. Blah. So she called our Pediatrician. They said to take her to the ER if her fever spiked to 104 and we set up a sick appointment for Monday. Her fever got to 102.8 at its high. By Monday she was still maintaining. I took her to the doctors appointment (where she tested postive for the flu). She was given TamiFlu which made her puke the first three times she took it.

The good thing is that by Tuesday she was fever free. By Thursday (I stayed home with her all week) she was bugging the hell out of me to play with her friends. Out of respect for the flu and those my daughter would come in contact with, we kept her out of school all week. She will return this week and is feeling great.

Lessons learned:

The flu is not a joke. As a matter of fact, influenza (none H1N1) kills many each year. H1N1 is just a strain of influenza which is pandemically moving across America.

If you or someone in your family gets the flu, keep them away from others to prevent the spread.

Wash your hands ALL THE TIME to prevent the spread.

Listen to health officials, pay attention, and follow their instructions.

Some hospitals are creating triage staging areas outside their ER. Patients with flu-like symptoms are not being allowed entrance to the ER for care unless they meet certain criteria (age, health history, fever severity, etc.).

If you would like to learn more about H1N1 “swine flu” I suggest you take a look at the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention webpage on the topic (link).