10-23-09

H1N1: When to seek medical attention

The H1N1 virus continues to spread rapidly through Iowa and the Kossuth County area. While most Iowans will recover from the virus without needing to seek medical attention, some individuals, especially children, are at higher risk for H1N1-related complications.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) children who should be considered for early antiviral treatment, and whose parents or caregiver should contact their health care provider as soon as influenza-like symptoms begin, include:

• Those younger than 2 years of age in particular, and some children up to 4 years of age
• Children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes
• Adolescents who are pregnant (and up to two weeks after giving birth)
• Children and adolescents who are on long-term aspirin therapy

It is important to recognize that even healthy older children can have severe or fatal outcomes after influenza infection. In all children, warning signs indicating the need for urgent medical attention include:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids (dehydration)
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not interacting with people and things around them
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve, but then return with fever and worse cough

To date in Iowa, there have been 124 H1N1-related hospitalizations and five H1N1-related deaths; the latest fatality, reported this week, was an adult from Mahaska County with medical conditions that increased the risk of complications.

For more information about H1N1 influenza, go to the Kossuth Regional Health Center website at www.krhc.com to find links to IDPH and the Center for Disease Control.  For questions about the H1N1 vaccine, call the Community Health Flu Hotline at 515-295-4451 or 1-800-603-8433, ext. 698.