Statement from Suburban Hospital Regarding Swine Flu

(Bethesda, MD, April 30, 2009) –  As always, Suburban Hospital’s first priority is the safety and care of patients, visitors, employees and physicians. Experts and officials at Suburban are working closely with federal, state and local public health offices during this rapidly changing public health problem, and plans are being implemented as needed to help assure your safety.

At this time, Suburban plans to have staff screen people coming to our Emergency Department for signs and symptoms of influenza-like illness. We will take all appropriate precautions to care for them while working to prevent transmission of illness to other patients, visitors and our health care team.

Questions and Answers

Q: What happens if a patient with Swine Flu enters Suburban Hospital?
A: Patients with proven or potential infections will be isolated and treated.

Q: Does Suburban have sufficient resources to treat Swine Flu cases?
A: We believe that our resources are currently adequate.

Q: Does Suburban expect to get patients with Swine Flu?
A: The Swine Flu situation is very fluid. It is very difficult to determine if this outbreak will affect us or the State of Maryland in any significant way.  

Q: What are the symptoms?

A: The symptoms of swine flu are generally not severe. They include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. These can be treated symptomatically with fluids, rest, and analgesics. The key symptom is fever. If you do not have fever, it is very unlikely that you have the swine flu or any flu.

Q: What precautions should we take?  

A: If you or your family is not feeling well, please take precautions to not spread your germs. These precautions include staying at home, keeping sick children home from school, and avoiding close contact with others. General precautions include washing hands often with soap and water, particularly if you are sneezing. When you sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with tissue, throw the tissue away and wash your hands. Use alcohol based hand cleansers and avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth because that’s the way these germs spread. 

For more detailed information, go to www.cdc.gov/swineflu/.