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This is the statement that bothers me from the Tribune article this weekend:
H1N1 has spread so quickly that last week the state announced it would stop tracking the number of confirmed cases. Health-care providers can assume that any patient who tests positive for influenza A strain has H1N1, and can begin treatment with antivirals, officials said.
The state will continue to track the numbers of patients who are hospitalized. As of Thursday, 90 people in Utah had been hospitalized with the flu.
If you look back 1-2 pages, I do address the above information when the Utah State Dept. of Health Lab said it would no longer run community samples. Instead, they would limit samples to only hospitalized patients.
Like stated above, healthcare practitioners can treat patients without a + serum test. Either late on Friday or Sat., DOPL, for the first time of which I'm aware, also made an emergency change. When a person in a family, or closely working colleagues (space wise) etc. is positive for A/H1N1, for the first time ever, a practitioner may initate treatment on those exposed without seeing the assumed exposed house mates, family members or others in a situation to be exposed to this virus.
The position of the UT State Health Dept. bothers me greatly, but when they are backed up and can't run the samples, they did the most responsible thing they could do, IMHO.
That is why epidemics are just that. We can't out-think every contigency despite the planning as we don't know the twists and turns each bug may give us. And at some point, there aren't enough personnel and/or supplies to do everything one may have done in a normal office visit or hospitalization.
I know one patient that is probably ill enough to be hospitalized, but fears hospitalizion given that this patient is a cancer survivor and has limited immunity. This patient feels "safer" at home, if the one caring for the patient can maintain the level of care needed.
Thanks for posting that article reference. I sincerely hope those in ID, WY (which is having quite the spread given its population) and elsewhere in the Intermountain West can learn from Utah's mistakes as well as the wise things UT has done too.
Stay as well as everyone possibly can.
MSR
Last edited by Mtn. States Resident; 06-15-2009 at 09:35 AM..
This is the statement that bothers me from the Tribune article this weekend:
H1N1 has spread so quickly that last week the state announced it would stop tracking the number of confirmed cases. Health-care providers can assume that any patient who tests positive for influenza A strain has H1N1, and can begin treatment with antivirals, officials said.
The state will continue to track the numbers of patients who are hospitalized. As of Thursday, 90 people in Utah had been hospitalized with the flu.
I really hadn't planned on posting more about the latest two deaths in UT, except this article is soooooooooooo important!!!!!!!!
Not only does it explain how one victim had 2 false negative screening tests until her third was positive. Despite her symptoms and the fact her mother had already tested positive, this patient was not started on Antivirals.
The other really important info in this link is it gives a summary of all A/H1N1 cases for states in the Intermountain West. UT leads the area. However, if you have plans to visit others states, you may want to look at the info.
From Salt Lake Tribune Reporters Erin Alberty and Lindsay Whithurst, the following shows UT having more cases of A/H1N1 than even AZ. And remember, UT stopped counting community cases last week, as the state lab could no longer process the volume of samples. Two weeks ago it was predicted this should be the peak week. I'm not so sure anymore.
H1N1 in Utah and surrounding states
Utah » 688 cases, four deaths
Arizona » 597 cases,
five deaths
Colorado » 75 cases
Idaho » 29 cases
Montana » 27 cases
New Mexico » 155 cases
Nevada » 162 cases
Wyoming » 50 cases
Source: Utah health officials, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (as of Friday)
Sage, I am aware of the copyright laws. I hope you would allow this data to remain, given the important of the Pandemic and what will probably be a spread into ID from UT. The info above is directly from the link in the article. However, it is easier to see the numbers as posted.
Survivor's Story How Husband's Rapid Test Was Negative.....Later Positive.
Because more users from the UT thread are reading this thread, I want to post this information.
Also, because many from ID travel to UT and may have been exposed to patients who had been told earlier their rapid tests were negative, I'm posting this article. PLEASE LOOK at the similarities. For some weird reason, at least a few of the adults have tested negative on their initial tests, but continued to have symptoms and tested positive around the 2 week mark. I have no idea if that is significant or not.
However,, I believe the take home message here is if someone is ill and tests negative on the rapid A test, please continue to get them help. You may be unpleasantly surprised to learn that they are positive on further tests.
I thank this brave woman for sharing the story about her husband's clinical course. Hopefully, will hear it and get further help if needed:
Great Information for Those Who Have Been Exposed to A/H1N1 ...By a Family Member etc. - Courtesy of IHC
I have reviewed several hospital sites in the Intermountain West for information about A/H1N1 for those who are ill and for those who care for the sick patient. Different sites have different amounts of information.
While the CDC has the most comprehensive information always, as they have the most information, I finally have a local source I can share as well. I believe is superb information for those who have been directly exposed to
A/H1N1; that would be people like me.
The CDC provides nformation for institutions, work, the care provider, patients etc. It can all be reviewed at:
Locally, I must give my most sincere compliments and thanks to Intermountain Health Care (IHC) who primarily owns and operates many hospitals chain in UT and one hospital in southern ID. IHC is encouraging practitioners and all who access their website to utilize the information they have compiled. Their basic website is: Intermountain Healthcare - Hospitals, Clinics, & Doctors in Utah - Salt Lake City, Utah. Then click on the special section for H1N1.
I want to express my deep gratitude to IHC, both personally and professionally. I have read so many times the last few days about exposure for a care provider, as it does indeed appear I have been providing care for a patient who was negative on the rapid A screening test, but as has now been publically announced, at best, that screening test may be only 70% accurate. Besides, it depends on how experienced the one who swabs is.
With symptoms progressing, I am unwilling to try to care for this person at home.
I've also been directly exposed by a patient who tested positive the first time his blood was drawn. So as I stated earlier, I've referred to IHC emails, being one of those who should receive them, and am very pleased this same information is available to the public now, through direct access. I've found the contests to be very useful and important information. To be perfectly clear, I have not added this information until we were encouraged to share it by IHC with those who could benefit from it.
IHC has information for those at risk, due to caring for patients. This is the link to the 2 pages: www.kr.ihc.com/ext/Dcmnt?ncid=520652641 (broken link).
Good luck to all who care for patients who are having a more difficult course with A/H1N1.
UTAH Now At 8 Deaths; "Potentially The Most Active Outbreak in Country."
This article has been updated from 12 hours ago. This a.m., it said two more people had died in UT from H1N1. Now, it says four more have.
Please read the article. Many of the "hottest" theories of why UT is being hit, perhaps, the most severe of anywhere in the U.S., are included.
Some question the link back to parents who decided to not immunize their children years ago and wonder if there could be a link (given that many of those children are adults now), UT's younger age is questioned and other theories.
I'm glad to see the Health Dept. no longer releaseing co-morbid information! IMHO, it is well stated the way the health departments and media have portrayed many patients has made them look like the victims. That is neither far nor accurate. See comments by Dr. Nathan Dean, Chief of Pulmonary Critical Care, at IHC's LDS and Intermountain Medical Center (IMC)'s critical care units.
PLEASE THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN POTENTIAL EXPOSURE OF TRAVELING TO UT AND BACK, ITEMS YOU MAY HAVE HAD DELIVERED, OR PEOPLE FROM UT VISITING YOU OR YOUR NEIGHBORS ETC. THERE ARE MANY WAYS VIRUSES SPREAD AND ONE DOES NOT NEED TO BE IN UT TO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO A/H1N1.
If you have recently been in Salt Lake County, in paritcular, or northern UT, you may want to talk to your healthcare provider of what to watch for and if Tamiflu or the other anti-viral drug would be available to you. If you've read any of the users comments in some of what I've posted, you'll see some people said there is a shortage of Tamiflu. From what I can learn, it appears that depends on the day of the week. It is far better to see a practitioner, if possible, during the regular week. The pharmacies are running out of Tamiflu etc. on the weekends, thus why people are saying they can't get it.
The statement in here about public health departments deciding who will get vaccinated, and private doctor's offices not even having the vaccine, is a frightening thought for me.
Take care of yourselves and DON'T assume this won't happen to you or someone you know. I urge everyone to prepare while they can with extra supplies at home. The one comment in this article mentions a family who has all been placed on Tamiflu and isolated (at home) for at least 7 days. Think of what you or your family etc. may need if at home for a week. There would be no quick trips to C Stores.
Thanks for posting that article. I'd seen a vague reference to the info, but nothing that detailed. It does make one wonder if there is sub-typing, within the A/H1N1 virus, in different "hotspots," throughout the U.S. and potentially world. Travel or people moving from areas such as Brazil to the U.S. etc. may have infected those areas with the more deadly virus.
Simply my opinion on this one, but I don't think it was by chance the Medical Director of Alaska's Health Dept. resigned last month to return to the CDC to work on H1N1. As I posted earlier, it has been his department that uncovered the remains of some thought to be victims from the 1918 flu, buried in AK. There are others who have posted at CDF who are also referencing this 1918 outbreak and how it may link with today's version. Simply search the contents for H1N1 or "Swine Flu," and one can see what others have posted. There is also more information from others about this being a man-engineered virus, as many have concerns that is the true etiology of this virus. ........
Clinical Trials Will Start in July - PLEASE VOLUNTEER, IF YOU CAN!
This is some great news. Novartis is ready to start clinical trials in July for their vaccine for N1H1. I've been told they will have both pediatric and adult.
I have no idea what their protocols will be, and what conditions people won't be able to have had/have who are enrolled in the trials. If I can learn more about theirs or Sanofi's etc. I'll post the details when I find them.
So smile and hope the clinical trial enrollment reaches capacity as soon as possible. Nothing slows a pharmaceutical company down from getting new medications to the FDA for approval, like lack of patients who meet entry criteria. In this case I probably should say "volunteers," as I doubt in early trials any pharma will want pts. who had H1N1. Perhaps later, they may want those previously exposed for too many reasons that aren't important enough to list here today.
In Idaho, usually the Infectious Disease trials are done in 3 cities: Couer d'Alene, Boise and Idaho Falls. If you live near any of those three cities and you aren't sure which doctors are your Infectious Disease (I.D.) specialists in your area, call your local hospital and ask. Their offices may have advanced knowledge about who can be screened or not.
Legally, until certain regulatory docs are filed anda approved, local physician's offices may not be able to give you detailed information. However, if you are serious about trying to help, and what a GIFT this would be for healthy people to volunteer or these studies, then leave your name, number, email or however you wish to be contacted.
These I.D. physicians will be under a lot of pressure to enroll many patients very soon, so weeks of observation with investigational medication can be documented in time for fall and return of regular flu season. Please help them, if you can, by volunteering or finding referring people who can volunteer. Before any pharmaceutical company can present a drug to the FDA, they must have X amount of patient days (different for each drug and trial). The more people they have, the sooner they can reach the required patient days on study drug to present their vaccination preparation to the FDA.
Good luck Novartis, Sanofi, Bayer and the other company all making vaccines..... I hope the FDA gives all of your immunizations approval, if the vaccinations are effective and safe.ok:
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Info From A Last Week - 2 Pages Back
Important To Read!
Survivor's Story How Husband's Rapid Test Was Negative.....Later Positive.
Great Information for Those Who Have Been Exposed to A/H1N1 ...By a Family Member etc. - Courtesy of IHC
Interesting Link, Torrie
Clinical Trials Will Start in July - PLEASE VOLUNTEER, IF YOU CAN!
Sorry, just a lot on my mind today: 
