 |  |
|
Luther Midelfort Northland, Lakeview restrict visitors
| | | | |
In an effort to help prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus, Luther Midelfort Northland in Barron is requesting that children under the age of 16 do not visit hospital patients, nursing home residents, or Maplecroft tenants at this time, given the significant, recent increase in H1N1 prevalence in this age group. Limiting visitors to immediate family members is also encouraged at this time.
The annual Halloween trick-or-treating on Oct. 31 at the hospital and nursing home is also cancelled.
As always, for the safety of patients, any visitors who display cold or flu-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat, coughing, nausea, runny nose and diarrhea are asked to refrain from visiting hospital patients until the visitor is symptom-free for least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.
Members of the community are reminded to practice good health habits during this cold and flu season, including: staying home when you are sick, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, washing your hands often and avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Lakeview Medical Center
Lakeview Medical Center has stepped up efforts to protect patients and visitors from both H1N1 flu (Swine) and seasonal flu. The Emergency Department and Urgent Care reported record numbers of patients every day last week, and are preparing for much of the same in the weeks to come. The waiting rooms were crowded with patients showing symptoms of fever, cough and nausea. Due to the unusually high numbers of patients, waiting time was often over 2 hours, despite the addition of extra doctors and staff.
What visitors should know
LMC staff will greet and screen all visitors and patients at the hospital entrance where they will be asked questions about their current state of health such as: How are you feeling today? Do you have a sore throat or cough? Visitors with flu symptoms will not be permitted to visit except in the case of unusual or extenuating circumstances.
Visitors should be at least 16 years of age.
Visitors to the OB Department will be restricted. One designated support person, determined by the mother, will be allowed into the department. This support person will be banded with the newborn ID band and will then be permitted to visit at will.
What patients to Urgent Care/Emergency need to know?
"There is little that can be done for normally healthy patients who come in with influenza symptoms", said Dr. John Waldron, Emergency Department Medical Director "and doctors in Urgent Care and the Emergency Department are not ordering H1N1 Influenza tests because the treatment advice is the same whether it's H1N1 or any of the usual seasonal respiratory illnesses."
"We are following the advice of the CDC and are prescribing Tamiflu only to certain patients of high risk. If we treat everyone with the drug we will quickly develop resistant strains of these viruses," said Waldron.
There are some people of particular concern who should make an appointment with their doctor or be evaluated in the Urgent Care. Chronic conditions that make influenza much more dangerous include asthma, COPD, heart disease and immune suppression. Pregnancy is also a concern. Anyone who has flu symptoms, gets better for a few days and then has a return of symptoms, especially fever, should be evaluated for possible pneumonia.
Symptoms of influenza in children include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, and fatigue. Children with these symptoms should be treated at home with rest, plenty of fluids, and acetaminophen or ibuprofen (not aspirin). Children should be watched for emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention such as trouble breathing, bluish skin or gray color, or a recurrence of symptoms after improving for a day or so. There is additional information for the general public about this on the CDC website.
The Lakeview Medical Center Urgent Care has added providers specifically to evaluate influenza sufferers. Urgent Care is open from 8am to 8pm weekdays and from 10am to 3pm on weekends. To protect children who have not been infected, healthy children should not accompany ill patients to the waiting rooms.
"Our highest concern is the safety of our patients, visitors and staff. We are taking these precautions in consideration of our more vulnerable patients," said LMC President/CEO Ned Wolf. "This is being done in an effort to stop the spread of any illness, and we believe the small inconvenience is worth it in order to ensure the continued safety of patients, visitors, and staff."
| |
©Barron News Shield 2009
| | |
| |
|
  | Send us your community news, events, letters to the editor and other suggestions. Now, you can submit birth, wedding and engagement announcements online too!
Copyright © 1995 - 2009 Townnews.com All Rights Reserved. |
|
