Dr. said they treat all cases as swine flu?

[waltskids]

DS who will be 3 in November woke up late Saturday night (around 11pm) with a high fever (103 degrees) and had a cough and runny nose along with congestion. All day Sunday he was lethargic and complained his ears were hurting. He did drink but wouldn't eat much at all. By the time he woke up Monday morning, the fever was gone and he was acting fine, but still had the cough and runny nose and congestion. I kept the Dr. appt since I wasn't sure if the fever would come back. Once we took him to the Dr. on Monday night they checked for an ear infection and strep since his throat was a little red, both were fine. So the doctor said that since it's too early for the seasonal flu they are treating all cases as the swine flu. Considering the short amount of time the fever lasted, do you think it was swine flu? Has anyone here had it for such a short amount of time? DH is a teacher and has been fine. I am a teacher home on maternity leave with DD. Neither DH or I has had the seasonal flu shot, but DS did get the flu shot. DD is fine also and can't get the flu shot yet. No one in the family has had the swine flu shot either. Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[Kies99]

I can't speak to whether or not this WAS a case of swine flu, but what your doctor said is probably correct.

My brother and family live in Dallas and all 5 of them had H1N1. My youngest niece spent 2 days in the hospital because of it (though mainly to get her hydrated as she couldn't keep anything down).

Anyway, according to them everyone who even shows the slightest symptom's are being treated as if it's H1N1 as it is apparently running rampant down there.

 

[Kae]

That's what they are doing here. there are not any other type of flu in the area. DS has it right now.

Kae

 

[waltskids]

I wonder if it was swine flu, if he can get it again? The dr. did say the seasonal flu shot may be offering some protection against H1N1 but they are still unsure.

 

[badblackpug]

They are treating all viral illnesses the same. Rest, fluids, tylenol. It is not too early for seasonal flu. ...and as I have said in another thread...please DO NOT say you or your family have or have had H1N1 unless you have specifically tested positive for it. There is a lot of hype and hysteria going around about H1N1, thanks mostly to the media. In most cases it is the same or a milder version on the regular seasonal flu. More people die annually from the seasonal flu than have died in total from H1N1.

 

[MommytoaSweetie]

Just as a note, a friend's son who had swine flu (they think) recently said that the doctor said he could do a test to find out for SURE (and they'd have to wait around for the test - this was the middle of the night anyway) or he could just guess that's what it was versus seasonal flu, but that it didn't really matter because the treatment would be the same anyway.

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

not here, they are doing the nasal swab to verify if it is type A or type B. If it comes back as type A then they are treating as if it is H1N1. If it is type B it is seasonal flu.

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

I wonder if it was swine flu, if he can get it again? The dr. did say the seasonal flu shot may be offering some protection against H1N1 but they are still unsure.

from what I understand, once you have h1n1 you are immune for the rest of the season. Someone else may know for sure.

 

[bumbershoot]

That's just lazy doctoring...goodness, how they can get away with not testing to make a definitive diagnosis I just don't know.

Of course with viral illnesses time and the body are what take care of it, but if you go somewhere to find out what you have, they should test to find out what you have.


I'm not a proponent of vaccines at all, but I don't know how he can say that something for x strain could provide protection for y...he's just being silly there.

If this were my doc, well, he wouldn't be for any future visits! Lazy.

 

[TxAnn]

from what I understand, once you have h1n1 you are immune for the rest of the season. Someone else may know for sure.

This is what our peditrician told us as well. All 6 members of my family had confirmed swine flu.

 

[dansamy]

That's just lazy doctoring...goodness, how they can get away with not testing to make a definitive diagnosis I just don't know.

Of course with viral illnesses time and the body are what take care of it, but if you go somewhere to find out what you have, they should test to find out what you have.


I'm not a proponent of vaccines at all, but I don't know how he can say that something for x strain could provide protection for y...he's just being silly there.

If this were my doc, well, he wouldn't be for any future visits! Lazy.

It's not lazy doctoring. It makes no hill of beans whether the child had H1N1 or seasonal flu. They are treated exactly the same clinically There's no reason to add the extra expense when it will not change how it's treated. Flu (seasonal and H1n1) is a virus. No antibiotic will "cure" it. Your immune system will either handle it or it won't. In the meantime, medically, we support your body's own efforts as needed. Fluids, Tylenol, rest, etc. If the respiratory distress progresses to a point where your body isn't able to oxygenate itself sufficiently, you get admitted and have a bit of O2 and some respiratory therapies. The media has made a frenzied storm over h1n1, but the reality is we can't do anything differently for it than we do seasonal flu.

 

[crisi]

And not all insurance companies are covering testing - since it isn't medically necessary. The test runs about $125. So a lot of doctor's offices, not wanting to take angry calls from their patients when the test isn't covered and with no reason to test to treat, aren't bothering.

My daughter is down with "something" - probably H1N1. High fever, hacking cough, respitory. Longer than five days. I'm really not interested in even bringing her to the doctor when the treatment is going to be "rest and fluids" and the diagnosis "flu - $125 to find out if its H1N1."

 

[waltskids]

That's just lazy doctoring...goodness, how they can get away with not testing to make a definitive diagnosis I just don't know.

Of course with viral illnesses time and the body are what take care of it, but if you go somewhere to find out what you have, they should test to find out what you have.


I'm not a proponent of vaccines at all, but I don't know how he can say that something for x strain could provide protection for y...he's just being silly there.

If this were my doc, well, he wouldn't be for any future visits! Lazy.

Anyway, we do love our doctor's office despite what some may consider lazy. And I do agree that it wouldn't serve a purpose at this point to test since DS is already better. I think had DS shown a more severe case, I would have asked for testing, but there was honestly no point. I was just curious if others had the flu for such a short amount of time or if anyone had the same experience with their own doctors.

 

[crisi]

from what I understand, once you have h1n1 you are immune for the rest of the season. Someone else may know for sure.

They aren't positive - apparently part of the reason they are so worried is this mutates quickly, and if it mutates enough, getting it now won't keep you from getting it later. But its likely that getting it now keeps you from getting it later.

 

[lastminutemom]

The quick tests have proven highly ineffective and inaccurate wrong as much as 70 percent of the time. The tests that are accurate are very expensive and are not plentiful. Around here, they are saving those for very ill patients only.

This summer many kids who were thought to have H1N1 had very mild short cases. My own DD was slightly sick for 2.5 days but it was at the same time the rest of us clearly had the flu.

As to the immunity, no one knows. Flus mutate and even the immunizations might get it wrong. I had my DD immunized for both seasonal and H1N1 last week. She was the only one who wasn't very ill and I don't want her to get sick again (or us).

 

[aksivers]

I think my son had it as most of the kids in his class tested for Flu A (H1N1). He's eight and his symptoms pretty much mirrored your little one (fever, runny nose along with congestion, tired). He was better within 24 hours. It's hard to know what to do as I am sure we will be getting H1N1 vaccines soon. I will ask my pediatrician if he thinks he should get the vaccine. I am sure it couldn't hurt.

 

[seashoreCM]

That's just lazy doctoring...goodness, how they can get away with not testing to make a definitive diagnosis I just don't know..

No point in getting the test if you are not going to do anything differently after you find out the result.

Health hints: http://www.cockam.com/health.htm

 

[tinkerfan1]

My DS15 was sick a month or so ago and tested positive for H1. Doctor said they were not accepting any more tests to be sent in/verified as swine flu but that he believed it was. He got Tamiflu and was better the next morning although we had to stay quarantined for a few days. This weekend he started running a fever over 101. Monday, he had a horrible headache and chills and the fever shot up higher. Went to the doctor and he tested positive for H1, Type A. They say, again, they can not guarantee it is swine flu but they believe it is. Pharmacist even said 95% of the H1, Type A cases are swine flu. How could he have gotten it again if he truly had it the first time?? Nurse at my work says it's possible since he had such a mild case the first time that he did not build up enough antibodies. Who knows. He's had the regular flu shot. Of course, there could be another strain. Again, the doctor said its really too early for that as we don't see much of that this soon, but... I don't think they really know and our crazy state doesn't care unless you are hospitalized if you truly have it or not.

 

[StephMK]

I'm not sure what's going on with DD9. She came down with a sudden fever of 101 Friday night, stayed in that range through mid-day Sunday, bad headache, achy, tired, sore throat. Strep test done (negative) because that is her typical fever cause.

She stayed home Monday since she wasn't 24 hr fever free til mid-day Monday & developed a cough but fever free & ok all day. Asthma sounding cough this am but went to school & took her inhaler. Tonight at bedtime she started crying about a bad stomachache. Took a tums & fell asleep. Woke up at 10 & crying again, ended up throwing up and has a fever of 101 again. Back asleep but not sure what to think about the returning fever. Dr said to call if it comes back so guess I'll find out in the am.

 

[RMulieri]

That's just lazy doctoring...goodness, how they can get away with not testing to make a definitive diagnosis I just don't know.

Of course with viral illnesses time and the body are what take care of it, but if you go somewhere to find out what you have, they should test to find out what you have.


I'm not a proponent of vaccines at all, but I don't know how he can say that something for x strain could provide protection for y...he's just being silly there.

If this were my doc, well, he wouldn't be for any future visits! Lazy.

No its not. Lots of Doctors, specialists and hospitals are doing this. The Flu nasal swab has a very HIGH false negative rate.So much so that with the rate of illness coming in, they are simply not testing and presuming they are Positive flu.There is no difference in treatment either.