Articles: pandemics.
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Microbes and infection · Jun 2013
EditorialBirds of ill omen--is H7N9 the harbinger of the next pandemic?
In February 2013, a novel avian virus appeared in Humans in China and caused several fatalities since. The rapidity and efficiency of the organizations in charge led to the quick identification of H7N9 and the triggering of preventive measures. However, the sequencing of the viral genome holds good and bad news and it is not clear yet if we face an emerging pandemic.
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Here we report the case of a 9-year-old boy with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by novel H1N1 swine-origin influenza virus A. A diagnosis of ARDS caused by a novel influenza A (H1N1) virus was made on the basis of chest X-ray and computed tomography together with low oxygenation index (OI) and the detection of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus from tracheal secretion samples. Oseltamivir phosphate and prone positioning were effective in the treatment of ARDS in this case. These findings suggest that anti-viral drugs and prone positioning can play an important role in the improvement of ARDS caused by novel H1N1 swine-origin influenza virus A.
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In a public health disaster, such as an influenza pandemic, the focus of medical care shifts from the needs of the individual to those of the community, so that the greatest good for the greatest number may be achieved. In a pandemic it will be necessary to maximize the benefit derived from all available local resources. Triage is the device employed to decide which patients will receive these limited medical resources. ⋯ Yet, based upon the severity of a pandemic it may be necessary and justifiable to include these criteria in making allocation decisions. The extent and manner of inclusion will directly correlate with pandemic severity. This paper considers existing protocols and proposes a manner for fully realizing the goals applicable in a public health crisis.