Influenza does kill thousands of people every year

Medical authorities in Tasmania are in trouble after the death of a girl who was discharged from the hospital with the swine flu virus. The court appointed coroner Mr Tim Hill said that even though the symptoms the 12 year old girl had did not indicate that she was suffering from swine flu, if she had been administered with the influenza medication Tamiflu she may well have survived.

The girl had spent two days in hospital with a suspected of viral fever but was still ill when she was sent home. She died four days later and questions were raised about why it took 46 minutes for ambulance to reach her home when her condition turned for the worse. The National Academies of Emergency Dispatch instigated an investigation and said when the girls father telephoned he was not asked if the girl was in a critical condition and thus the emergency management department did not realize the severity of the situation.

Obviously they should have questioned whether she was breathing property and whether she was fully conscious, and this obviously contributed to the delay in dispatching the ambulance and therefore to her death.

This case highlights the importance of proper medical care for those people who suffer from swine flu or in fact any type of influenza.  Regular monitoring of influenza patients to ensure that they are fully conscious and that they are not suffering from any respiratory problems should always be carried out. Influenza does kill thousands of people every year, and very aggressive variants like swine flu are more dangerous.

You should always see a doctor or make sure that you have family and friends to look after you properly if you have influenza and if possible you should get your hands on either Tamiflu or Relenza which will improve your recovery time and also protect you from possible serious health complications.