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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority (HA) will revise the clinical management guidelines for patients in relation to human swine influenza (HSI) to target patients with high risk factors following the emergence of more severe cases and an increasing number of HSI cases in the community.
"The HA expert group which met last weekend recommended more active treatment for influenza-like illness (ILI) patients who develop features of pneumonia or signs of deterioration even when the test result of human swine influenza is not available or negative initially," the spokesman for the HA said today (July 20).
"The expert group advised that, in addition to chronic diseases and immuno-compromised state, pregnancy, current smokers, obesity, babies and children below six years old and persistent symptoms beyond 48 hours are also risks for developing severe symptoms. Pneumonia patients with such risk factors will be given antiviral treatment at the earliest possibility."
For out-patients attending HA's Designated Flu Clinics (DFCs) who have been confirmed with infection of HSI, the clinic will inform patients and prescribe antiviral drugs.
"As antiviral drugs may have more serious side-effects on pregnant women and children below the age of one, doctors will discuss with patients or family and prescribe medication only with their consent. To minimise the side-effect on pregnant woman, Relenza spray will normally be recommended," the spokesman added.
"Furthermore, laboratory tests also will be conducted for all community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients. Repeat investigations will be conducted for CAP in-patients if the initial test shows negative results. The enhanced laboratory tests will facilitate early confirmation of HSI patients and hence, commencement of antiviral treatment to prevent severe complications."
The HA today also announced that the operational arrangements of its eight Designated Flu Clinics will be slightly adjusted in August.
"The DFCs will continue to provide service from 9am to 5pm, seven days a week. However, to address the needs of chronic disease patients, the eight designated clinics will resume service for follow-up consultation for the chronic patients beginning on August 17," the spokesman said.
"Proper segregation will be put in place to prevent cross infection between the two types of patients. There will be two designated consultation rooms for the management of ILI patients in each DFC.
"As the summer flu peak season will be here for some months, we have to ensure early treatment for ILI patients without compromising the ongoing clinical service for other patients with chronic conditions," the HA spokesman explained.
Ends/Monday, July 20, 2009
Issued at HKT 19:25
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