Since the emergence of the H1N1 disease last spring people have learned to cough and sneeze into their elbows to avoid germ contact with hands, to carry a personal bottle of hand sanitizer, and to speculate about the medical condition of any friend, family member or colleague that so much as sniffles.
With this climate of caution has come a dramatic increase in the volume of people seeking emergency care — and a call from medical professionals for people to think twice before heading to the hospital.
Pam Flock, director of Beaver Dam Community Hospital’s emergency room and Fast Care Clinics, said the hospital has seen a 30- to 50-percent increase in emergency room traffic throughout the last several weeks. On numerous occasions the hospital has shifted into disaster mode to accommodate the influx in patients.
“We certainly don’t want to discourage people from coming in for care, but we want to give them some hints on how they can take care of this and stay at home,” Flock said.
Medical professionals urge people with flu-like symptoms to stay home, drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids, get plenty of rest, keep away from others except when seeking medical care, and to stay at home for at least 24 hours after a fever subsides.
“We don’t treat all H1N1 cases,” said Waupun Memorial Hospital Emergency Room Director Syed Mohiuddin, MD. “Some of the exceptions are those under 5 and over 65 years old, pregnant, immune compromised, or have a chronic medical condition that put them at high risk.”
You should, however, seek medical attention if symptoms improve and then return with fever and worse cough, you experience any fever over 102 degrees, fever with rash, blue skin or lips, extreme sleepiness, refusal to eat or drink, severe repeated vomiting or inability to keep fluids down. Medical attention is also suggested for infants who do not want to be held.
Flock warns that symptoms can change rapidly, “Especially when we’re talking about children, so parents need to be on top of it.”
Mohiuddin agrees.
“It’s better to stay out of the hospital, better to stay home. If we could make a difference we’d tell them ‘come on in,’” Mohiuddin said. “Of course, if they’re throwing up or have shortness of breath something out of the routine, then they should come in.”
Those who do need to seek emergency care should remember to bring a photo ID, anticipate wearing a breathing mask, and be patient with waiting longer than expected as more serious cases receive priority. Also, patients with less severe symptoms can receive treatment at BDCH Fast Care Clinics located in the Beaver Dam Shopko and Marshland Pharmacy in Horicon.
One thing that patients that seek emergency care should not expect is a test to confirm the H1N1 disease. The State Center for Disease Control has stopped running such tests. Flock said they’re costly, and the diagnosis doesn’t change the course of care.
“The test takes 3 to 5 days minimum. By the time you get those results back you’re already way into treating the patient and dealing with the disease. But we have some cases that were confirmed,” Flock said.
In the Waupun Memorial Hospital Emergency Room patients who come in are treated as potentially infected, but there is no number as to which cases are actually H1N1, Mohiuddin said.
While media attention has caused a reaction among the public, planning for a surge in emergency care for such an epidemic is nothing new for hospital staff.
“It’s just routine business. Our commitment to the community is to stay on top of this, be aware of changes as they come along, share them with the public, and just provide the best care possible,” Flock said. “We want the public to know that we are on top of this. We are meeting almost daily. We are looking at the changes coming out information-wise, we’re working on getting the vaccination. We’re dealing with H1N1 every day in some shape or form. We want to make sure the community has confidence in what we’re doing. To protect them and keep them safe.”
amartin@capitalnewspapers.com
Hank Snyder contributed to this report