As the media blitz continues regarding the H1N1 influenza virus, otherwise known as the swine flu, I continue to receive questions from patients anxious to take the appropriate steps to prevent or treat the flu. We at Atlanta Women’s Specialists understand these fears, and have taken steps to help give you the most up to date information possible and to aid you in disease treatment and prevention. Please browse through the information that is listed under our Health Topics section regarding the H1N1 Flu. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also has continually evolving information that is listed on their website at www.cdc.gov or you can check at www.flu.gov. The information is extremely helpful and answers most questions that my patients have been asking. If you have further questions, or would prefer to talk about this in more detail, feel free to inquire through our office or discuss with your physician at your next appointment.
As a large number of our patients are pregnant, and therefore have been classified as a “high risk population” by the Centers for Disease Control, I would like to give some answers to the most commonly asked questions that I receive. Again, I believe that you will find these answers supported by the information provided by the CDC.
What should I do to prevent the flu? Pregnant women are considered a high risk population. Secondary to some of the underlying physical changes that happen with pregnancy, pregnant women have been shown to have a more difficult time in handling the flu. For that reason, it becomes of ultimate importance to try and prevent infection with either of the seasonal flu or the H1N1 Flu. To that end, practicing the appropriate techniques of hand washing, hand sanitizer, coughing into your sleeve and avoidance of others suspected of being ill is our first line of defense.
Should I be vaccinated against the flu? Vaccinations for both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu are extremely important. The seasonal flu vaccine has been considered crucial for pregnant women for many years. Now, the recommendation naturally extends out to the H1N1 flu. Although this is a “new” vaccine, it is constructed along the same lines that the seasonal flu has been previously. They have just included the new H1N1 virus strain into the same type of transport media as the seasonal flu. My patients have been extremely concerned regarding its safety with pregnancy. However, it is considered more dangerous to actually contract the flu while pregnant, than the theoretical risk of the vaccine. Also, this vaccine, like the seasonal flu vaccine, is a killed virus and therefore there is not a risk of “catching the flu” from the vaccine itself. As for the timing of the vaccine, it will be possible to get both vaccines on the same day. However, we do recommend that you get the flu vaccine as soon as possible, and then get the H1N1 vaccine once it is available (currently scheduled for release in mid October).
What do I do if I am exposed to someone who is diagnosed with the flu? The current recommendations are to start antiviral medications as soon as you are informed of the exposure and take a once-daily dose for 10 days to help prevent developement of the flu. We would ask, as the CDC recommends, that you call the office for a prescription. We will then forward this to your pharmacy without requiring a visit in the office. Again, the antiviral medications are a category C medication which means that there are no human studies that have been done on pregnant women. However, as stated previously, the limited information on animal studies that have been done, show no effects to offspring. Although this information is limited, the risk of the disease is still considered much more significant than any risk from the medication.
What happens if I develop signs or symptoms of the flu? Again, as per the CDC, please notify our office with these symptoms so that we may direct the next appropriate steps. It is recommended that we NOT have patients come into the office for confirmation of infection, but rather start a twice daily medication regimen for 5 days. As this infection has been shown to spread easily, the authorities have recommended that we keep people out of the physicians offices to try and prevent further transmission. However, if anyone develops symptoms of significant shortness of breath or signs of respiratory compromise, they will be directed to the hospital for further evaluation so that they can be treated most effectively and quickly.
What should I do if I become ill and am breastfeeding? The current recommendations are to continue breast feeding, but try to avoid coughing or breathing directly on the baby. If you become too sick to nurse yourself, it is recommended to continue with pumping and then have the breast milk fed by bottle by another family member.
These are just a few of the questions that I have received recently. This is by no means an exhaustive list. I am sure that there are more questions that will arise. Please feel free to contact us for more information. We will continue to follow the ever-evolving information, and will attempt to forward this to you as we receive it.
Take care, and remember….wash your hands!!!
Michael A. Dawson, MD
