1)
LBDHHS strongly suggests all clinical facilities be prepared to implement their
influenza response plans at this time.
2)
Please review attached information for the public on when to seek medical care
that may be of use to you in communicating with your patients.
3)
Please review LBDHHS guidance for antiviral treatment. Click Here
4)
Plan for a surge of patients and increased demands for your services –
a)Consider using your telephone system to
deliver messages to incoming
callers about when/how to seek medical care at your facility, when
to seek emergency care, and where to go for information about caring
for a person with flu at home (see Interim Guidance for H1N1 Flu: Taking
Care of a Sick Person in Your Home atwww.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm.
b)Be prepared to extend your hours of
operation to include telephone triage
of patients during a community outbreak.
c)Be prepared to screen patients for
signs and symptoms of febrile respiratory
illness at entry to the facility.
d)Providers and clinics should use
separate waiting and exam rooms for possible
novel H1N1 flu patients.
e)They should plan to offer surgical
masks to symptomatic patients who are
able to wear them (adult and pediatric sizes should be available).
f)Facial tissues and receptacles for
their disposal should be offered.
g)Hand hygiene products in waiting areas
and examination rooms should be
readily available.
h)If your facility is interested in
providing H1N1 influenza vaccine, please visit
the website:http://www.calpanflu.org to register.
5)A
checklist for use in telephone screening and triage of patients with influenza-like
illness (ILI) is available for use by personnel with appropriate training and
experience. Click Here
6) Subsequent
Provider Alerts will include updated clinical guidance and local information
about H1N1 vaccine availability. Please advise health care providers in your
practice setting who do not subscribe to this listserv to contact Veronica
Ornelas via email at Veronica.Ornelas@longbeach.gov
to be subscribed.
For
current H1N1 information from the U.S. Department of Health & Human
Services (including CDC), see: http://www.flu.gov/
