HOUSTON, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- As Texas Children's Hospital braces for the upcoming flu season, parents are urged to schedule immunizations for at- risk youngsters and seek early treatment when symptoms are present.
"There is no reason to believe that the upcoming flu season will not be just as significant as those of the past three to four years," said Dr. Ralph D. Feigin, physician-in-chief of Texas Children's Hospital and professor and chairman of the department of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.
"It's easy to take the flu for granted; however, it is a global public health threat -- a major cause of illness and death," added Dr. Gail Demmler, director of diagnostic virology at Texas Children's Hospital and professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. "Flu is predictably unpredictable. We must constantly be vigilant."
The flu -- formally known as "influenza" -- is transmitted through contact with an infected person, through air droplets or contaminated items. The virus produces a febrile respiratory tract illness that can lead to a primary viral pneumonia, which can be severe enough to result in hospitalization or require the use of a ventilator to breathe.
"In addition, some individuals can get a secondary bacterial infection such as an earache, bacterial pneumonia, or bloodstream infection (septicemia)," Feigin said.
Classic flu symptoms include a sudden onset of fever, frequently with chills; headache, malaise, muscle pain and a dry, hacking cough.
"After the initial symptoms, the child may develop a sore throat, congestion and a runny nose," Feigin said. "The cough can become more prominent and occasionally the eyes can get red. Some children will complain of abdominal pain and nausea."
Parents may be tempted to rush children with flu symptoms to the hospital; however, such action is recommended only in selected circumstances.
Dr. Joan Shook, chief of emergency medicine at Texas Children's Hospital, advises parents to call their pediatrician to determine if home measures can provide relief.
"A visit to the emergency center is warranted if a child has an altered mental status; shows signs of dehydration, such as sunken eyes or failure to urinate; exhibits a rapidly-evolving, bruise-like rash; has a stiff neck or stops breathing," said Shook, who also is a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.
A flu diagnosis may be confirmed by a simple rapid influenza test or a culture using nose or throat secretions in the doctor's office.
"There is no reason to suffer in silence," Demmler said. "If the flu is diagnosed early, antiviral therapy can be given to shorten the course and severity of the illness."
The nonprofit Texas Children's Hospital, celebrating 50 years, is the largest
children's hospital in the United States. http://www.texaschildrenshospital.org/
FACT SHEET Texas Children's Hospital specialists say immunization can ease effects of flu
season
Flu immunization recommendations for children
-- Doctors advise that healthy children 6 months to 24 months old and
their household contacts receive flu immunization.
-- Flu immunization can be given by a standard shot, using an injection
of inactivated flu virus strains, or by nose drops, using a live, but
weakened, mix of flu virus strains.
-- The flu shot can be given to children as young as 6 months old.
Although more expensive, flu nose drops can be used to prevent the
flu in children who are 5 years of age or older.
-- Flu immunization is strongly urged for children 6 months of age and
older with any of the following risk factors:
-- Asthma or any other chronic pulmonary disease (such as cystic
fibrosis)
-- Cardiac disease
-- Immunodeficiency diseases, which require immunosuppressant
therapy (steroids, cancer drugs, chemotherapy)
-- HIV
-- Sickle cell anemia or any other hemoglobin disorder
-- Diseases requiring long-term aspirin therapy (such as rheumatoid
arthritis, Kawasaki disease or chronic kidney dysfunction)
-- Chronic metabolic disease, including diabetes
-- Children who live in a household with elderly people should be
immunized.
Immunization age and dosage recommendations
-- The optimal time to receive the flu vaccine is in October or
November; however, flu vaccine may be given as early as September.
-- Children 6 months to 35 months old who are receiving a flu
immunization for the first time should receive two doses at least
one month apart. If possible, the second dose should be given before
December. The same recommendation applies to children 3 to 8 years
old.
-- After the age of 9 years, only one dose is recommended.
Texas Children's Hospital
-- Texas Children's is the primary pediatric teaching hospital for
Baylor College of Medicine.
-- The nonprofit Texas Children's Hospital, licensed for 697 beds, is
the largest children's hospital in the United States and offers more
than 40 pediatric subspecialties.
-- The hospital is ranked No. 4 among pediatric hospitals nationwide by
Child magazine, and No. 4 by U.S. News & World Report.
FACT SHEET
Texas Children's Hospital specialists saw severe flu season in 2003, expect
same in 2004
The 2003 flu season was early and severe, resulting in one of the worst flu outbreaks in Houston history, a scenario that played out in many cities nationwide. Texas Children's Hospital specialists say the flu is predictably unpredictable, and they are preparing for an intense 2004 season. Following are facts about last year's record-breaking flu outbreak.
2003 flu season was early and severe
-- Due to flu cases, October 2003 was the busiest month in the history
of the Texas Children's Hospital Emergency Center. In October alone,
more than 9,000 patients with flu symptoms came to the center.
Approximately 6,500 patients usually are seen in the emergency center
in October.
-- October 2003 was the busiest month in the 16-year history of the
Texas Children's Hospital Diagnostic Virology Laboratory, where
specialists process tests for flu and related diseases.
-- In October, the height of the flu outbreak, the Texas Children's
Emergency Center saw 360 to 400 patients daily; 90 percent of these
had the flu.
-- In previous years during October, the center saw approximately 240
patients daily, and just a handful of these had the flu.
-- The flu season started early -- the first week of October -- and
peaked at the end of that month. The season usually starts in
December and peaks in January or February.
-- In October/November 2003, Texas Children's processed 2,181 flu tests;
of these, 478 were positive.
-- In October/November 2002, 715 tests were processed and 1 was
positive.
-- During the entire six-month flu season in 2002, only 227 flu tests
were positive.
-- Texas Children's was one of the earliest, if not the first, to detect
the early, sharp increase in flu cases in 2003. Flu virus strains
obtained from patients at the hospital were sent to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga., for review. From
these strains, a new type of flu was identified, and that new strain
was added to the 2004 flu vaccine.
-- Flu is highly contagious and easily mutates into new strains, setting
perfect conditions for another severe flu season in 2004.
Q&A: The facts about flu season
Q: How can I protect my child from the flu?
A: If your child is in a high-risk group, schedule a flu vaccination.
Children should be kept away from infected persons and avoid direct
contact with contaminated areas, such as toys and tabletops.
Frequent hand-washing is crucial, especially prior to eating.
Provide hand sanitizer when your child is unable to wash.
Q: Are some children too young to be immunized?
A: The flu vaccine is not recommended for children under the age of
6 months.
Q: Can my child receive the flu vaccine in nasal spray form?
A: Children must be at least 5 years of age to receive the nasal spray
vaccine.
Q: Will the flu vaccine make my child sick?
A: The vaccine will not make a person "catch" the flu; in some cases,
there may be a local reaction, such as pain at the site of the
injection. Children who receive the vaccine in nasal spray form may
have a sore throat, stuffy nose and/or low-grade fever the day after
vaccination. If your child is allergic to eggs or egg protein, visit
an allergist to have your child desensitized.
Q: If my child has the flu, how long is he or she contagious?
A: A child with the flu is most contagious 24 hours after the onset of
symptoms; however, the virus can spread as long as symptoms are
present.
Q: What is the best way to treat the flu?
A: Encourage your child to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Provide
light meals. You also may administer children's acetaminophen to
lower fever above 102 degrees and relieve body aches. Do not give
aspirin to a child who has the flu or who you suspect has the flu.
Q: How long does the flu last?
A: The typical course of infection is 7 to 10 days.
Q: Is there any way to shorten the duration of the flu?
A: If a child 1 year of age or older is diagnosed within 48 hours of flu
onset, oral antiviral medicines, such as amantadine for influenza A
and oseltamivir for types A and B, can lessen the severity of
symptoms and shorten the duration of the flu. For children 7 years
of age and older, inhaled zanamivir may be effective.
Texas Children's HospitalCONTACT: Jennifer Hart of Texas Children's Hospital, +1-832-824-2111, orpager, +1-832-824-7243, beeper 6266, or jxhart@texaschildrenshospital.org
Web site: http://www.texaschildrenshospital.org/