EMP November 2009: “Influenza: Challenges in Diagnosis and Management in the ED”

Norcross, GA (PRWEB) November 25, 2009

EB Medicine, a national leader in highly respected, peer-reviewed, evidence-based CME journals for Emergency Medicine clinicians, has prepared a timely and important issue addressing the most comprehensive and up-to-date resources on influenza available anywhere. Written by a practicing emergency medicine physician, Dr. Charles Murphy of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, and peer-reviewed by ED physicians, this issue of Emergency Medicine Practice brings together the most current literature on influenza, including recent studies on clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment.

Beginning with background on the influenza virus and its epidemiology, this article provides emergency department clinicians with evidence-based research on ED evaluation of patients presenting with flu-like illness and includes useful clinical pathway algorithms on testing and therapies that are based on explicit Class of Evidence definitions. In addition, this article includes 10 Risk Management Pitfalls for Influenza, along with Cost- and Time-Saving Strategies. With more than 80 references and links to external resources, this issue of Emergency Medicine Practice provides a comprehensive, unbiased resource for physicians and clinicians who are on the front lines of pandemic influenza management, diagnosis, and treatment. The article includes 4 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, 4 ACEP Category 1 credits, 4 AAFP Prescribed credits, and 4 AOA Category 2B credits. In addition to the print publication, Emergency Medicine Practice is available online, and CME tests can also be completed online. To view the article abstract and additional information, visit https://www.ebmedicine.net/topics.php?paction=showTopic&topic_id=205.

A hospital Emergency Medicine physician in New York said, “I read this article as soon as it appeared online, which was the night before a large meeting of our staff leaders involved in emergency preparedness. Around the table were administrators, nurses, pharmacists, security, physicians, and other department heads all dealing with our hospital’s preparations for the influenza pandemic. After reading this EB Medicine article, I was able to ask key questions about our preparations. For example, I did not know before reading the article that pharmacists are comfortable compounding Tamiflu tablets into elixir for children. That had already been a concern for us in the ED when faced with children at risk who needed the elixir. I also felt better prepared to understand the epidemiology of seasonal and H1N1 flu and the current diagnostic and treatment recommendations. I had a copy of the article with me and recommended it to the other department heads at the meeting because it was such an exceptional article. The information was trustworthy because the editors had already done the hard work of wading through all the literature and including the most relevant literature in the article. I have always benefitted from the tables and graphs that accompany EB Medicine’s Emergency Medicine Practice, and this article was full of useful tables that summarized the highlights of the article.” – Bruce Thompson, MD, Honeoye, NY (Used with permission.)

You can follow EB Medicine on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ebmedicine

Discuss this article on Ozmosis: https://www.ozmosis.com/node/5227?key=cmpmedica&destination=bookmark/redirect/d0qqd&identifier=

###

Attachments

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Find More Influenza Press Releases

(PRWEB) October 24, 2005

If taken within 48 hours of the onset of flu symptoms Tamiflu attacks the flu virus and stops it from spreading inside the body. Tamiflu is also used to reduce the chance of getting the flu in people age 13 and older who have a higher chance of getting the flu because they spend time with someone who has the flu. Tamiflu can also reduce the chance of getting the flu if there is a flu outbreak in the community.

The manufacturer of Tamiflu, used to inhibit the effects of the bird flu virus, will negotiate with generic drug companies to increase production. Tamiflu is the most effective drug in treating bird flu.

Swiss-based Roche Holding will meet with four companies and maybe more in coming weeks, all in an effort to work out licensing agreements that would allow other companies to produce Tamiflu, which is in great demand throughout the world. Those four companies are Teva Pharmaceuticals, Barr Laboratories, Mylan Laboratories and Ranbaxy Laboratories

Visit Tamiflu.com for more information on Tamiflu and for information on how to differentiate between the symptoms of the flu and a cold. The website also offers a desktop “Flu Tracker”.

Discount flu and cold season medications Tamiflu, Zithromax Z-Pak, and Amoxicillin available to buy online at http://www.TensionHeadacheMedication.com & http://www.my-medication.com/index.php

# # #

More Flu Press Releases

Portland, ME (PRWEB) October 12, 2010

OA Centers for Orthopaedics today announced that the Portland Pirates has selected OA as their Team Physicians for the 2010-11 season.

Professional hockey players risk injury every time they step foot on the ice. Throughout the course of the season, players suffer from knee, shoulder, hip, groin and back injuries as well as concussions and lacerations to the head, scalp and face. Among younger athletes, hockey-related injuries have risen by more than 85% since 1990.1 More is at stake for professional athletes who making a living on the ice.

“Concussions, illness and injury prevention are major concerns for professional athletes today,” said Tom Murray, M.D. of OA Centers for Orthopaedics and Head Team Physician for the Portland Pirates. “So as we begin working with the Pirates, we are bringing their concussion management practices up to NHL standards, making recommendations – including flu shots this week – to reduce the prevalence of illness during the season and providing expedited evaluation and diagnostic services when athletes are injured.”

OA was an early adopter and a longtime proponent of the ImPACT test for concussion management. ImPACT, or Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing, evaluates concussions through computer-based neuropsychological testing. It measures multiple aspects of cognitive functioning in athletes, and provides tools to assist physicians in determining an athlete’s fitness to return to play after suffering a concussion. The test provides immediate results for evaluating physicians and indicates whether additional diagnostic action, including a written test and physical evaluation, are required.

As Team Physicians for the Pirates, OA’s sports medicine specialists will be at every home game the Pirates play this year. OA will follow-up with all injuries and recommend treatment and rehabilitation plans to the injured athlete, trainers and coaches.

“We chose OA because they are the best sports medicine practice in Northern New England, offering the most comprehensive, innovative care and solutions for all of our team’s medical needs,” said Brian Petrovek, Managing Owner/CEO of the Portland Pirates. “When our guys get hurt, we want them to have immediate medical attention. OA provides that support for the Pirates, and we are excited about this new relationship moving forward.”

The OA medical team is lead by Head Team Physician, Thomas F. Murray, Jr., M.D., with Assistant Team Physician, Lucien R. Ouellette, M.D., with orthopedic consulting support from OA’s Sports Medicine Center team of medical professionals.

OA physicians also serve as the Team Physicians and/or sports medicine consultants for the Portland Sea Dogs, Portland Phoenix Soccer, Bowdoin College, St. Joseph’s College, USM and dozens of area high school sports teams.

1 Bloomberg Business Week, September 26, 2010: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/643435.html


ABOUT OA CENTERS FOR ORTHOPAEDICS

Founded in 1982, OA Centers for Orthopaedics is the premier orthopaedic practice in Maine and one of the country’s leading innovators in orthopaedics. OA’s 23 physicians and surgeons are highly specialized in areas such as sports medicine; hand surgery; joint reconstruction of the hip, knee and shoulder; medical and surgical treatment of the spine; foot and ankle surgery; and complex fracture treatment. OA performs more orthopaedic procedures than any other practice in Maine, and some of the most sophisticated procedures in the nation. In 2007, US News & World Report ranked Maine Medical Center in the top 50 in the orthopaedics category. OA is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC).

Headquartered in Portland, Maine, OA has satellite offices in Windham and Saco. OA—Experience in motion. For more information, please visit www.orthoassociates.com.

###

©Copyright 1997-2010, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Find More Swine Flu Press Releases

Swine Flu – Alternative Medicine Solutions

Swine Flu – Alternative Medicine Solutions

Swine flu cases are set to grow exponentially over the next few months. The chief medical officers have been predicting and warning us all about a flu pandemic for a number of years now. This flu not only brings the same aches and pains but comes with a ‘cytokine storm’ that causes symptoms that may lead to pneumonia. This may be fatal so all asthmatics beware. This time the warnings are real.

In this article I will set out some natural medicines you should be taking to stop getting infected by swine flu and also some remedies to treat it if you do. All of these suggestions are based on modern scientific research. However, if you suspect you have swine flu you must go to your doctor to be on the safe side, especially if you are having breathing difficulties and having chest pain. Best thing overall is to try and make yourself less susceptible. In pandemics like this, large groups of people do not get infected as there are less susceptible.

There are more than 200 viruses that can cause the common cold and flu, and usually the signs of infection strike, 18 to 24 hours after the virus enter the body. So here are some very simple and effective ways of both boosting your immunity so we escape infection and self-treatment if you do catch the swine flu. These will help bring about a quicker recovery. All natural medicine interventions must focus on not only boosting the immune system but rather a balance between stimulating the immunity and reducing the production of cytokines causing a storm and its harmful life threatening effects.

What Is Swine Flu?

Swine flu is the flu that is causing the latest flu pandemic worldwide. The flu is a respiratory disease that affects pigs. However it is now affecting humans at massive levels. Flu normally affects vulnerable people like the very young and old however swine flu attacks the healthy person – the 18 to 50s section of the world. One disturbing feature of this virus is that it causes a ‘cytokine storm’ in the body. A cytokine is a biochemical that normally responds to infections and directs the immune system. However in swine flu they are over produced causing harm to the body organs and causing fluid to build in the lungs. As well as all the regular flu symptoms such as headaches, aches, pneumonia can also develop as a result of swine flu.

The Cytokene Storm – Damage Control

The cytokine storm that is created by the body in response to the swine flu is caused by the swine flu being unaffected by the body’s immune response. This causes an over production of cytokines ( TFN-a and IL-6) by the body. This is what killed many people during the Spanish flu in 1918 in the USA. Foods such as; honey, chocolate, spirulena algae and particularly elderberry need to be avoided as they increase the production of cytokines in the body. Try and drink lots of apple, lemon and cranberry juice who have all shown an ability to decrease cytokine production in the body. . Cut out all mucous forming especially diary foods as the respiratory system is the virus breeding ground.

So it’s not just the virus you have to watch out for it’s actually the cytokine storm. The more people that become aware of this the better for both its treatment and outcomes.

Natural Medicine

Natural medicine has been practiced for centuries and moreover in the prevention of disease as well as the treatment of it. Over 80% of the world use herbal medicine as the first method of medical treatment. Natural medicine has been used very successfully when there has been a major health crisis taking place. Especially during the Spanish flu epidemic where you had a better survival rate if you went to a homeopathic hospital

Neurominidase Blockers

The swine flu virus needs neurominidase enzyme in order to replicate. An enzyme is a biological catalyst. The first thing you must do is to decrease you susceptibility to the virus. In order to do this a vitamin and mineral supplement is necessary as part of your diet. Drink the juices of apple, lemon and cranberry juice. Vitamin C and vitamin E has been shown to reduce flu virus loads and also a reduction in cytokines by blocking neurominidase. Green tea has also a very good effect in reduction of cytokine production.

Vitamin Supplements

You should also be taking a proper vitamin and mineral supplement to guard you against flu and also a whole load of other diseases. However this vitamin and minerals you should be taking must be in a food form and not isolated synthetic chemical like ascorbic acid that is sold internationally as vitamin C. The real nutrients that you are looking for can be found at StarGate Nutrition Vitamin website. All their nutrients are in a nature form that your body will understand. They provide the full spectrum of required vitamins and minerals. You should be focusing on lemon juice for vitamin C and also to alkalize your blood to make it more inhabitable for the swine flu virus. The mineral zinc needs to be also consumed and the best way is by eating oysters and sunflower seeds which are foods naturally high in these minerals.

Homeopathy

Popular for years in Asia with over 250,000 doctors qualified as homeopathy in India alone, homeopathy has recently become Europe’s fastest growing form of alternative medicine. Last year sales of homeopathic medicines in Europe topped £3billion. Debate about how it scientifically works are heated, but most Europeans are now going to a homeopath as their first course of treatment and 20 per cent of Scottish GPs currently practice the specialty. Many scientific studies have been carried out to proves its efficacy medically and especially in flu outbreaks such as this.

Critics of homeopathy say that the medicine is no more than the placebo effect psychological factors causing improvement unrelated to drug therapy. However, Dr David Reilly of The Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital led a team of scientists who compared placebo and homeopathy in four trials conducted over 15 years in patients with allergies such as hayfever and asthma. All four studies showed a greater effect from the homeopathic medicine than from the placebo. Overall there have been over 200 trials and over 70 per cent of these conclude that homeopathy is better than placebo. Private European insurers cover homeopathic treatments, and The World Health Organisation recommends them. A few years ago Spain took an initiative to incorporate homeopathy into its national health service.

A report to the American Institute of Homeopathy in 1921 documented the dramatic success of homeopathy in the worst flu pandemic in history. The death rate of 24,000 flu cases under conventional medical care in that study was 28.2 percent, while the death rate of 26,000 cases treated with homeopathy was a nearly miraculous 1.05 percent.

When a similar strain of bird flu, misleadingly termed Spanish Flu, spread around the world in 1918, there is no doubt that it had catastrophic consequences. 50 million people died.  Nevertheless, American hospital statistics from the time show that homeopathic treatment gave a far better chance of survival than conventional treatment did.  The statistics are reported in Randall Neustaedter’s excellent book “Flu:  Alternative Treatments and Prevention”.

For at least the past 150 years homeopathic practitioners have used the medicine Influenzinum as a flu preventive. Influenzinum is a homeopathic medicine made from flu viruses. A proprietary preparation is produced by homeopathic pharmacies each year using the flu virus strains recommended by the World Health Organization for the year’s vaccine production (Dolivaxil – containing Influenzinum 9C). The typical dosage is once per week for four weeks beginning in October or later, followed by another dose three weeks later.

You should have Gelsemium 30c in your house and take when someone sneezes in a bus or your office. This can stop the virus taking root in the body and acts as a preventative.

The first medicine used in France to treat flu is Oscillococcinum made by Boiron and sells 7 million euros annually. Boiron was bought recently by the Bayer group.

Oscillococcinum Alternative Medicine To Tamiflu

This remedy recently toped pharmacy sales list and sales in the US alone are in the region of £20 million. A course costs of Oscillococcinum costs £6, which is used regularly by 5 million French for the prevention of colds and flu’s every year. Lets face it five million French can’t be wrong?

Oscillococcinum was first studied in France during the 1987 flu epidemic caused by an H1N1 virus similar to the bird flu of today. This multi-centre study examined the effect of Oscillococcinum (200C) on the early symptoms of flu. Results were published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. More patients in the treatment group recovered completely in the first 48 hours than the control group (17 percent of patients with active treatment compared to 10 percent of controls). More patients in the treatment group also judged the treatment as favorable compared to the placebo, 61 percent vs 49 percent (Ferley, 1989).

In 1990 German scientists replicated the French study of Oscillococcinum. They used the same criteria as the previous study and enrolled 372 patients. After 48 hours of treatment with Oscillococcinum the treatment group had considerably milder symptoms than the control group, and the number of patients with no symptoms from day two onward was significantly greater in the treatment group (17.4 percent) compared to the control group (6.6 percent) (Papp, 1998).

Both of these studies show a significant curative effect of a homeopathic medicine in the treatment of flu in carefully conducted, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Conventional antiviral drugs reduce the duration of flu by about one day if taken within the first 48 hours of illness (Cooper, 2003). These studies shows that homeopathy carries the potential to make a dramatic difference in any flu epidemic without the risk of drug side effects.

However, is anyone planning to stockpile homeopathic medicines proven to effectively treat the flu for over one hundred years?

St Johns Worth & Goldenseal NOT Echinacea.

Many people might be reaching for the herbal remedy called Echinacea to treat their swine flu or prevent it by boosting the immune system. Stop. In swine flu treatment Echinacea will cause the production of cytokines which will further damage your body.

The best herbs to use during this flu are St Johns Worth which is a potent antiviral as well as a famous antidepressant. The herbs adaptogenic qualities may help the body adapt to the cytokine storm making it have less an impact.

Turmeric, the spice, has an ability to be more powerful the pharmaceutical cox-2 inhibitors. Turmeric works in swine flu by blocking the production of cytokines. One herb I have been personally using over the past few years is Goldenseal which reduces colds and flu’s symptoms quite dramatically. Very little is written about it. Garlic is essential to include in your diet and has an affinity for the lungs as a herb. This can assist in blocking the development of pneumonia and reduce any lung infection by taking at least one clove mashed a day. Parsley will reduce the odour if you need it.

Aromatherapy

Tea tree essential oil from Australia that is very popular world wide is really important in terms of it being the only essential oil that is anti – viral bacterial and fungal. Lavender is very useful in the production of white blood cells. Tea tree oil may reduce the viral load causing a reduction in cytokine load.

Probiotics

Natural bacteria in the gut are essential to maintaining proper health and digestive functioning. Antibiotics not only kill the organisms that cause colds and flu’s but also kill the good gut bacteria. In order to reintroduce the effects of the bacteria you reintroduce them by eating bioactive yoghurts made with strains of gut bacteria such as Lactobacillus. This may also help to reduce any thrush symptoms caused from antibiotics.

Related Swine Flu Articles

• A homeopathic medicine that works naturally
• Fast-acting when taken at the onset of symptoms
• Safe for the entire family – from children to seniors
• No side effects, no drug interactions, no contraindications, and no “masking” of symptoms
• Regulated as a OTC (Over the Counter) drug by the FDA

Product Description
Oscillococcinum temporarily relieves symptoms of flu such as fever, chills, body aches and pains…. More >>

Boiron Homeopathic Medicine Oscillococcinum for Flu, 6-Count Boxes of .04-Ounce Doses