Most of you are familiar with the idiom, “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear,” which implies that it’s difficult to improve upon a bad situation. But perhaps there is something we can do as PTs and PTAs to shed light on the swine flu frenzy by giving our patients accurate information.
The media-at-large is jabbering day and night about the swine flu pandemic, mostly with the effect of scaring, rather than informing, the public. But that’s where we can help. Start by reading up on the CDC’s recommendations, and advise your patients accordingly.
To recap, the swine flu is similar to regular seasonal influenza in that it creates familiar symptoms of lethargy, body aches, sore throat, coughing, fever >100 degrees F, and occasionally vomiting and diarrhea. Because viruses can live outside the body for two hours or more, the swine flu can be transmitted indirectly by contacting an infected surface and then touching the mucous membranes around the nose, mouth, or eyes. So, frequent hand washing (or using gel sanitizers) is critical to reduce the spread of infection. Of course, you can also become directly infected by being in the firing line of an infected person’s cough or sneeze, which is why face masks, especially for those already experiencing symptoms, are important to contain wandering secretions. But rest assured, people can’t get the swine flu by eating pork products, so it’s OK to go out and enjoy a plate of ribs this weekend if you're so inclined.
The swine flu can be successfully treated with two of the four antiviral medications licensed for use in the U.S. (it's resistant to the other two), which are most effective if given within the first 48 hours of infection — the antiviral meds help reduce the severity of symptoms, and can mitigate life-threatening complications such as pneumonia. So, patients should be encouraged to see the doctor quickly if they begin to feel poorly. Once ill, isolation precautions (hand hygiene, eye protection, disposable N95 respirator, and gloves) should be adhered to around the patient for at least seven days or until symptoms resolve, whichever is longer. But be aware that children seem to remain contagious for longer periods than adults.
In short, get educated and then use your knowledge to educate those around you. Continue your routine good hygiene practices for infection control, and look out for your patients and each other … now that’s what I call making a silk purse.
Anne Ahlman, MPT
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