Atlanta Legal Nurse Consultant At "Updates On Influenza"

Atlanta legal nurse consultant, Liz Buddenhagen, attended the Athens, Georgia AACN symposium held at St. Mary’s Hospital on March 22, 2016.

One of the featured speakers was Mark Visitacion, MD, who is boarded in internal medicine and infectious disease. Visitacion is an associate professor of medicine at GRU-UGA medical school in Athens, Georgia as well as the chair of infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology at St. Mary’s Hospital and Landmark Hospital.

Influenza:

Influenza is “one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States.” Influenza originated in the 15th century in Italy.

Visitacion initially talked about the science of flu. He discussed DNA and RNA viruses.

He also touched on the pandemics of the 1918 Spanish flu, the 1957 Asian flu, 1968 Hong Kong flu and the 2009 H1N1 flu. He said improvements in flu control are due to vaccines.

Regarding modes of transmission, he said to avoid respiratory droplet transmission, one should be 6 feet or more away from the sick person. Also, droplets from coughing or sneezing can last 48 hours or longer on an object or surface.

Symptoms of Flu compared to a Cold:

Flu:

Sudden fever for 3-4 days, headache, muscular aches and pains, tiredness and weakness.

Cold:

Fever rare, headache rare, mild muscle aches sometimes and tiredness and weakness sometimes but mild.

Individuals at high risk for getting flu are kids under 2 years old, adults over 65 years old, patients with chronic diseases such as pulmonary, heart, kidney and any chronic disease, immunosuppressed patients, pregnant women, Native Americans and Alaskans, patient with a BMI over 40 (obese), nursing home patients and patients in chronic care facilities.

Vaccines are the most effective at preventing flu. Visitacion said a person cannot get sick from a non-live vaccine (which is what is commonly used) and there are no longer concerns about mercury in the vaccines.

Tamiflu is the most effective treatment for flu, he said.  

Check with your doctor to see if there are any reasons you should not receive the flu shot. 

Atlanta Legal Nurse Consultant:

Liz Buddenhagen assists Atlanta lawyers with medical legal cases. For more information, email Liz@BuddenhagenLNC.com , view www.Legal-Nurse-Consultant-LNC.com or call 770-725-2997. 
 

Contact Information

Liz Buddenhagen

Principal

Buddenhagen and Associates

(1) 7707252997

Liz@BuddenhagenLNC.com