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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority today (September 25) announced a new set of clinical management protocols for treatment and testing of human swine influenza cases with the objective of targeting those with a more severe condition and receiving in-patient care.
The spokesman said patients with influenza-like-illness (ILI) seeking consultation at both Designated Flu Clinics (DFC) and Accident & Emergency (A&E) Departments would be assessed by clinicians to determine the course of treatment, and the need for clinical testing and hospital admission.
Starting next Monday (September 28), DFCs and A&E Departments will conduct laboratory tests for human swine influenza on the following specific groups of patients:
- Pregnant women
- Children 12 months old or under
- Healthcare workers including staff from residential homes
- Patients living in institutions without outbreak
- Influenza patients with persistent fever (over 38¢XC) or whose condition deteriorates 48 hours after treatment
"Hospital admission and antiviral treatment will be based on clinical assessment. For other ILI patients, test for human swine influenza is not routine as the testing of influenza infection will not affect the treatment for them."
At the same time, patients who have risk factors and chronic illnesses, and residents of residential institutions presenting with influenza-like-illness will be offered antiviral treatment on presentation with no need for laboratory testing.
The Hospital Authority spokesman said public hospitals and clinics would only prescribe symptom control medication to influenza patients with mild condition.
"We would like to appeal to patients with ILI symptoms to consider seeking consultation first with private doctors and clinics amid a continual surge in the attendance in DFCs and A&E Departments in the past few weeks."
In the past four weeks, the average daily attendance of the 15 major A&E Departments increased from 6,354 in the last week of August to 7,086 in the past week, with attendance peaking at 8,391 on Monday (September 21).
"At the same time, there has been an increase in the attendance of patients presenting with Influenza-like Illness in some major A&E Departments,from below 10 percent in the last few months to an average of 20 percent in the past week,"the spokesman said. In some A&E Departments, more than 30% of the attending patients have presented with ILI symptoms.
"If there are accident casualties or a sudden surge in patients seeking consultation, patients with minor ailments will inevitably need to wait longer at the A&E Department. Additional manpower has already been deployed at pressured A&E Departments to address the increasing workload," the spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, September 25, 2009
Issued at HKT 18:00
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