33 premature babies feared exposed to swine flu

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) -- Thirty-three infants born prematurely at a North Carolina hospital are receiving precautionary swine flu treatment after possibly being exposed to the virus by a respiratory therapist.

Moses Cone Health System officials said Wednesday that none of the infants in a neonatal intensive care unit at the Women's Hospital of Greensboro has symptoms of the disease. The infants are being quarantined from other babies.

Medical Director Dr. Tim Lane said the therapist treated a patient who later tested positive for the virus. The therapist worked a shift in the babies' unit several days later. It's common for the therapists to treat patients of all ages.

The staffer is at home, and swine flu test results for her are expected Thursday or Friday.

Lane said the chain of events began June 6 when the patient came to the emergency room with symptoms that were believed related to asthma. The patient was treated and released.

He came back to the hospital twice after experiencing more flu symptoms and was hospitalized June 10, Lane said.

The patient was isolated and classified as a suspected swine flu case on June 11; the hospital was notified Monday that he had tested positive.

“We immediately looked at any other patients who may have been exposed to this patient and any staff and employees who may have been exposed,” Lane said.

Lane said that’s when the health system identified the respiratory therapist as having been exposed to the patient in one of his initial visits to the hospital.

Officials discovered the therapist was home sick Tuesday.

The therapist had just completed a shift at The Women’s Hospital on Monday night and early Tuesday, treating babies experiencing breathing difficulties, thus possibly exposing them.

“We have tested the employee, and the employee is a possible or suspect case,” Lane said.

“She was in the area where we had approximately 33 newborns,” Lane said.

“We have obviously been concerned and have taken a broad proactive approach in starting those babies on preventive therapy.”

That therapy has included placing the babies on the anti-viral medication Tamiflu and monitoring them.

Parents, visitors and staff who may have been exposed to the virus also have been offered Tamiflu by the hospital.

The hospital is screening all visitors and employees for signs and symptoms of the H1N1 virus before allowing them to enter the NICU.

Lane said the therapist began feeling sick three to four days after initial contact with the patient and had aches and a cough over the weekend.

He said the employee followed hospital policy by not coming into work while feeling ill.

She felt better and came back to work at The Women’s Hospital on Monday, Lane said.

The therapist began feeling ill again after her shift Tuesday and has been at home recovering since, Lane said.

News-Record.com

Keep the the little ones in your thoughts and prayers.

Thanks Mary & Lisa for your comments.  I have the hand sanitizer packed in my overnight bag!  And unless there is good reason, she will stay with me in my room and not the nursery.  I have 2 littles ones already, my girl is 1 and my son will be 4 soon.  For both they let me check out 1 day early so I hear ya on the drive thru deliveries.  Remembering back though they sure did have alot of visits- from the staff.  Nurse shift changes, techs to draw blood, someone for pictures, cafeteria staff for meals, Doctors visits, pediatrician... in & out in & out.  Yikes!  With my daughter they had some visiting students in a mayo program and perhaps they were trying to impress because I couldn't get a break to bond with her.  TOO MANY VISITS but not this time =).  I can't wait to get through it, get home with all 3 for a too short - 12 wk maternity leave and feel less vulnerable to all of this for a short while.    

I hope these 33 littlest ones will be ok. 

I hope this leads to a policy change at the hospital and alerts other hospitals to do the same.