Family Med Medical News about H1N1 Infection Control Measures

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CDC Urges Health Care Professionals to Use Proper H1N1 Infection Control Measures
American Family Physician, 06/25/09

Mitchell D - At least 81 health care workers across the country have confirmed or probable cases of novel influenza A (H1N1), evidence that some health care workers are not following CDC guidance for personal protection from infectious disease. They should use fit-tested respirators, gloves and eye protection when caring for a patient with probable H1N1 infection. Such patients should be placed in single-patient rooms to reduce the risk of transmission, and they should be instructed about proper respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette. Good hand-washing hygiene also is a standard precaution. Aerosol-generating procedures should be performed in rooms with negative-pressure air handling to prevent spread to other parts of the facility. And it is critical that infectious patients be identified "at the front door" in order to protect health care workers and other patients.

The CDC has issued guidance for summer camps and parents of campers:

People who have had influenza-like symptoms within the past seven days should not attend, work or volunteer in a camp until at least seven days after their symptoms began or until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours.
Parents should plan ahead for the possibility that their child could become ill while at camp.
Camps should communicate with local public health authorities to develop plans for addressing potential outbreaks.
Hand-washing facilities should be readily available to campers and staff, and they should be reminded to use good hand and respiratory hygiene.
People 18 or younger with a confirmed or suspected case of influenza should not be given aspirin or aspirin-containing products because of the risk of Reye’s syndrome.

The CDC has issued guidance for use of the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, or PPSV23, during the outbreak:

All people ages 65 and older should receive a single dose of PPSV23
Those ages 2-64 years who have certain high-risk conditions (chronic cardiovascular disease, chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, chronic liver disease, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, functional or anatomic asplenia, and immunocompromising conditions) should receive a single dose of PPSV23 because people in these groups are at increased risk for both pneumococcal disease and serious complications from influenza.

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