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Nov 24, 2009 5:50 pm US/Central
Hospitals Better At Stopping Spread Of H1N1 In ERs
(WCCO)
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Patient management tactics have been honed during the first wave of H1N1 outbreaks in the spring and the second wave starting late summer. (File)
Justin Sullivan /Getty Images
Twin Cities Hospitals said the second wave of the H1N1 pandemic is easing up a bit this week, but they are still seeing far more flu patients than usual for this time of year.
Hospitals have become very efficient at sorting through the injured and the sick.
"Like the pediatric floor would tell you that almost all of their cases were H1N1," said Dr. Wendolyn Slattery, an Infectious Disease Specialist at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids.
Walking us through Mercy's Emergency Room admitting area, Slattery points out flu prevention sign which are everywhere and in many languages.
So are the tools of flu prevention; everything from masks to stations offering hand sanitizers and even air purifiers that run every hour of the day.
Coughing patients now have their own isolation area too.
"So a patient will come over to this counter here with their registration and from there they'll either be told to wait here or they'll be triaged into their own room," said Slattery.
The Mercy Hospital Emergency Department has what they call the fast track hallway.
The rooms with the green signs at the end of the hall are for presumed H1N1 patients, but at times when the patient influx is really great they will close both ends of this hallway and put strictly those with flu symptoms in that area of the ER.
Patient management tactics have been honed during the first wave of H1N1 outbreaks in the spring and the second wave starting late summer.
Slattery said it's vital to help those who are most at risk.
"I mean it surprised us that it kind of hit pregnant women a little harder than we anticipated -- people with obesity or diabetes, emphysema," she said.
Slattery said she hopes enough vaccine is available in case the outbreak has a third wave.
"But we don't know what March, next year has to bring," said Slattery.
Doctors also recommends taking the hand-washing warning a step further, get in the habit of not touching your face at all.
She said all it takes to infect you with viruses from surfaces you touch is to scratch your nose or rub your eyes.
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