Search
Homepage > H1N1 Flu
Swine Flu
comments
Bookmark and Share

Related To Story

ER Deals With High Number Of H1N1 Cases

POSTED: 5:10 pm EST November 12, 2009
UPDATED: 5:13 pm EST November 12, 2009

Comments


ER Deals With High Number Of H1N1 Cases

Forty percent Of Patients Daily Have Flu-like Symptoms

Children's Hospital Boston is being bombarded with patients complaining of flu-like symptoms.

NewsCenter 5's Jorge Quiroga reported Thursday on how the hospital is prepared and ready.

Yellow masks and yellow gowns on doors. It's a common sight in the ER at Children's Hospital Boston as doctors and nurses keep up with an increase in sick patients.

"We are now seeing anywhere say, from 215 to as many as 250 patients in one day," said Dr. Anne Stack, the clinical chief of Emergency Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston.

According to Stack, 40 percent of those patients coming in every day are reporting flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough and sore throat. Not all of them have H1N1. Only those admitted to the hospital are being tested to confirm H1N1. So, what about the other suspected flu cases?

"It's the only form of influenza that's out there," Stack said.

With so many cases coming through, the hospital has increased its staff by adding more nurses and doctors to the emergency room. There's also a new H1N1 triage center to take pressure off the ER.

"We took a conference room, large conference room, and changed it into a six-bed clinic," Stack said.

That room has been used five or six times already this month. Until the rush dies down, Children's Hospital Boston is ready.

"We don't know if it's peak or not. It's too soon to say," Stack said.

Comments


comments
Bookmark and Share

Links We Like

When it comes to communicating with your boss, some things are just better left unsaid. Here are 15 phrases your boss definitely doesn’t want to hear. More

The following tips can help your car become a less inviting target and slow down, discourage or actually prevent car theft. More

To guard your job security, be sure to avoid these 10 common pitfalls. More

Maps

United States
Check the latest H1N1 and seasonal flu trends in each state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More


Take a look at which countries have reported cases of swine flu. More


A biomedical researcher plots confirmed and suspected cases of swine flu worldwide. More


Survey

Did you contract the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu?
Results | Disclaimer | E-Mail