FluComplications

General Notes on Complications (Caroline)

 * you can get pneumonia from the flu because your lungs are weakened
 * Reye's syndrome: a deadly disease that strikes quickly and can strike and child
 * complications usually appear after you feel better
 * high fever, shaking chills, chest pains with each breath, coughing that produces thick, yellow-green mucus
 * nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can sometimes accompany influenza infection, especially in children
 * normal symptoms:
 * body aches
 * chills
 * dry cough
 * fever
 * headache
 * sore throat
 * stuffy nose
 * more serious symptoms:
 * bacterial pneumonia
 * ear infections
 * sinus infections
 * dehydration
 * chronic medical conditions such as heart failure, asthma, cancer, and diabetes can all be made worse
 * bronchitis
 * death
 * demographics:
 * more thank 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications
 * 36,000 die from the disease each year
 * mostly elderly people and infants
 * people that are 65 years or older develop chronic medical conditions
 * people that die are individuals with chronic conditions affecting the lungs and/or the ability to fight off infections
 * weakened immune systems
 * 25-50 million Americans contract the flu
 * about 5%-20% of US residents contract influenza each year

Questions that remain for Nurse Baldwin

 * why is it so dangerous?
 * how does it kill you?
 * how long is the typical student out of school from the flu?
 * when is the best time to get the vaccination?
 * when is "flu season?"
 * what is the best way to get over the flu?
 * how can students avoid the flu if it is going around at their school?