What you see on this page is all of the information about the H1N1 flu that you will need.  If you call our office, this is the same information that we will give out to you over the phone (we’re just trying to save you a step)

1. 1. “My child has been exposed to the H1N1 flu and now he/she is sick.”
   

Here are the symptoms of the flu:

1. •fever (It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.)
   

2. •cough
   

3. •sore throat
   

4. •runny or stuffy nose
   

5. •body aches
   

6. •headache
   

7. •chills
   

8. •fatigue
   

9. •sometimes diarrhea and vomiting
   

If your child has some but not all of these symptoms, there is still a very high probability that they have the flu.  Right now, we are only seeing the flu from the H1N1 “swine” strain.  There are rapid flu tests (and we have them too) and unfortunately they are not very good at diagnosing the H1N1 flu.  Essentially, a positive test confirms that a child has the flu but a negative  does not mean they do not have the flu.

We are seeing a lot of patients with the H1N1 flu and wait times are longer than usual.  The overwhelming majority of the patients we are seeing are not that sick and require nothing other than standard care (see below).  There are a few patients that we should see within 24-48 hours of getting sick:

    -Children less than 5 years old (especially those less than 3 years old)

    -Any child with an underlying medical problem (asthma, recurrent wheezing, diabetes, HIV, sickle cell disease, etc)

Please click here for an excellent web page from the Centers for Disease Control on flu signs and symptoms as well as flu warning signs.

2. 2. “My child is sick and we are at home.  What do I have to look out for that he/she needs to be seen right away?”
   

The flu warning signs are the following:

    In children

1. •Fast breathing or trouble breathing
   

2. •Bluish skin color
   

3. •Not drinking enough fluids
   

4. •Not waking up or not interacting
   

5. •Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
   

6. •Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
   

7. •Fever with a rash
   

In adults

1. •Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
   

2. •Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
   

3. •Sudden dizziness
   

4. •Confusion
   

5. •Severe or persistent vomiting
   

If you or your child has any of these warning signs, dial 911 or go to the emergency room right away

3. 3. “How do I take care of the flu at home?”
   

The CDC has a great website (click here) that goes over the treatment of the flu at home

4.  “My child has had the flu, does he/she need to get the H1N1 vaccine?”

This is a tough question to answer.  The CDC recommends that all children get the H1N1 vaccine even if they have had symptoms of the flu.  The problem is that nobody can guarantee that your child has had the H1N1 flu without special testing that cannot be done in our office.  However, if your child has tested positive for “Flu A” in our office then there is a very high likelihood that they have had the H1N1 strain and probably do not need the vaccine.  That being said, there is no harm for anyone to get the H1N1 vaccine when they have had the H1N1 infection before.  So really, it is a matter of personal preference.

5. 5. “Does my child need the flu medicine Tamiflu?”
   

There are two medicines that can help with the flu.  Right now, the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the use of these medicines only to people who are considered high risk for complications from the flu.  They are:

1. ◦Children younger than 2 years old
   

2. ◦Children 2-4 years old that have more than just mild flu symptoms
   

3. ◦Persons aged 65 years or older (we don’t see these people, of course)
   

4. ◦Pregnant women (we also don’t have too many of these in our office)
   

5. ◦Persons of any age with certain chronic medical conditions (asthma, diabetes, sickle cell, HIV, certain severe nervous system problems, liver disorders, kidney disorders, heart disorders, and other major chronic problems)
   

6. ◦Persons younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy.
   

7. ◦Anyone with the flu that is severely ill or hospitalized
   

Everyone else is considered low risk for complications and should do fine with standard treatment without medications like Tamiflu.

Please click the following link for more details: http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/antivirals/geninfo.htm

We will continue to post new information as it becomes available.  Please refer to the following sites for more up-to-date information:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

http://www.vdh.state.va.us/epidemiology/DiseasePrevention/H1N1/index.htm