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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority today (October 2) announced two fatal cases of human swine influenza and a new critical case:
A 93-year-old female patient with a history of old cerebral vascular disease and hypertension developed fever and upper respiratory symptoms on September 30. She attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Caritas Medical Centre and was admitted on the same day for clinical treatment. Positive result for HSI was confirmed on October 1 and she was prescribed with Tamiflu and antibiotics. Her condition deteriorated and she succumbed at 6.48am today.
An 11-year-old girl with an underlying history of mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and asthma was admitted into the paediatric isolation ward via the Accident and Emergency Department of Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital on September 26 with flu symptoms. Positive result for human swine influenza was confirmed the same day and she was prescribed with Tamiflu and antibiotics. She suffered cardiac arrest this morning and succumbed at 9.21am.
Both cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection, and have been referred to the coroner for follow up. The hospitals would like to express condolences to the families of the two deceased patients.
Furthermore, there is a newly confirmed critical case of human swine influenza in United Chirstian Hospital. The patient is a 35-year-old male patient with epilepsy who developed flu symptoms on October 1 and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit via the Accident and Emergency Department of United Christian Hospital on the same day. The patient was prescribed with Tamiflu and antibiotics and is currently on ventilation support. The hospital will closely monitor his condition.
Ends/Friday, October 2, 2009
Issued at HKT 20:06
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