WHO issues advice to prevent flu spread in hospitals

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WHO issues advice to prevent flu spread in hospitals

Thu Apr 30, 2009 12:24pm BST

* All countries should be on high alert for pandemic virus

* Healthcare workers must use infection control measures

* Patients should be isolated, visits kept to minimum

By Nebehay

GENEVA, April 30 (Reuters) - Countries should be on high alert for the new swine

flu virus, tracking any suspect cases and ensuring medical workers do not spread

it further, the World Health Organisation said on Thursday. Doctors and hospital

staff must wear protective masks and gloves and wash their hands often to lower

the risk of transmitting the new strain among themselves and patients, the

United Nations agency said in fresh guidance on the outbreak.

" All countries should immediately activate their pandemic preparedness plans.

Countries should remain on high alert for unusual outbreaks of influenza-like

illness and severe pneumonia, " WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said.

The WHO has raised its alert level to 5, on a scale of 6, indicating a pandemic

was " imminent " .

(www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/swineflu/swineinfinfcont/en/index.html)

" At this stage, effective and essential measures include heightened

surveillance, early detection and treatment of cases and infection control in

all health facilities, " Chan told a news conference late on Wednesday.

Laboratories must gear up to analyse quickly whether patients have the new

strain and follow good biosafety measures, said Chan, adding the U.S. Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was working to make diagnostic kits

available to other countries and laboratories.

The new virus has killed up to 176 people in Mexico and is spreading fast.

A dozen countries have reported cases of the H1N1 strain and Texas officials

have confirmed a 22-month-old Mexican boy had died in the state while on a

family visit, the first confirmed swine flu death outside Mexico.

" It is critical that health care workers use appropriate infection control

precautions when caring for patients with influenza-like symptoms ... to

minimise the possibility of transmission among themselves, to other health-care

workers, patients and visitors, " said the WHO.

INFECTION CONTROL MEASURES

Extra care must be taken when treating a patient with an acute, respiratory

illness and fever, especially those who have been in an affected region within

the week before symptoms began, it said.

The virus appears to spread mainly through droplets.

Family members visiting patients should be allowed access on a limited basis and

must also use the same infection control measures as health workers, the WHO

said.

Medical staff should isolate or avoid crowding patients together, and wear

eye-visors, goggles or even a face shield when directly treating those infected

with the virus.

Procedures such as cleaning out the respiratory tract, intubing a patient,

performing a bronchoscopy or even an autopsy carry increased risk of

transmitting the virus, the WHO said.

" Health care workers with symptoms should stay at home, " it said.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/africaCrisis/idUKLU176572

(Editing by MacInnis and Sophie Hares)