"There is cause for concern not alarm" President Obama
Epidemiology Update:
As we continue to be barraged by news reports containing information about swine flu (using dramatic terms such as "deadly" and "pandemic"), and as there are now two confirmed cases here in Massachusetts, it becomes easy to panic and loose our sense of proportionality.
It is important to remember that, despite the tragic death of a 23-month old child (in Texas), at this point the majority of cases of swine flu are still in the 25-45 year age range. In addition, it appears that the majority of confirmed cases of swine flu have been relatively mild. To illustrate this fact, note that at the St. Francis School in New York, there have been approximately 100 students affected by the swine flu, only one of whom was hospitalized (and that student only stayed one night for observation).
We all are hoping that the spread of this virus will slow down during the Spring and Summer seasons (as often happens with influenza during hot weather). This should give the CDC an opportunity to develop a swine flu vaccine should this strain of flu recur next fall and winter.
Infection Control in Our Office:
At Westwood-Mansfield Pediatrics we have initiated infection control policies to ensure the maximum safety of our patients and our staff. Any child who is considered to be potentially infected with swine flu will enter our office via the side entrance and immediately be placed in a designated room. All providers will wear gloves and masks when examining the child. The exam room will be thoroughly disinfected as soon as the patient is finished in the office. At no point will febrile children suspected of having the swine flu be in our waiting rooms or wandering the halls.
A Word About Tamiflu:
As the disease is being recognized closer and closer to us, we are beginning to field requests for Tamiflu. While Tamiflu can be an effective medication to prevent flu and to shorten its course, it is not without potential (though uncommon) side effects in children. These side effects may be severe and include seizures, hallucinations and delirium.
Uncontrolled and overuse of Tamiflu (as could occur with people coaxing their physicians to prescribe the medication for their family) may lead to resistance developing with this swine flu strain. This should be a familiar story with antibiotics and bacteria (think of MRSA - methacillin resistant Staph Aureus) and was evident this past flu season when over 90% of the circulating Flu virus was resistant to Tamiflu.
At this point in time, it is the policy of Westwood-Mansfield Pediatrics to give prescriptions for Tamiflu only to children diagnosed with influenza who have a positive test for the flu (and to their immediate families).
Please do not call us to request a prescription to stockpile in your home.
We continue to receive frequent updates from the CDC and the Department of Public Health. Our policies are based on the recommendations and guidelines issued by these institutions.
Internet Resources:
To learn more, refer to the following sites.
We Are Here For You:
Swine flu is a medically and epidemiologically complicated issue - one that is changing with new updates all the time. We will continue to send these e-mail alerts as long as there is news to relay.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns (especially if we have not addressed something in these communications), please do not hesitate to contact us.
Westwood-Mansfield Pediatrics
"Proactive in Your Childʼs Care"
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