WHO publishes checklist for treating patients with H1N1
Although H1N1 has not been prominently featured on this blog, this checklist from the World Health Organization (WHO) caught my eye because it goes over important infection control and prevention techniques that should be used with every possible H1N1 patient that enters your facility. The WHO Patient Care Checklist: new influenza A (H1N1) released last month by the WHO, can be modified to fit any local practices your facility has also incorporated into treating flu patients. It was tested at facilities around the globe, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.
For development of the checklist, the WHO sought advice from experts in:
- infection control
- clinical management of pandemic-prone Influenza
- health care checklists
To read more about the checklist, and to find a version written in Spanish, click here to go to the WHO’s Web site.
CNN is reporting that a vaccine for H1N1 will be made available in the U.S. by October. Today, secretary of health and human services Kathleen Sebelius spoke at a “flu summit” mandated by the Obama administration in an effort to launch a national campaign about H1N1. Experts worry that the flu will spread faster once the fall hits and the normal flu season begins.
To read more about today’s summit, click here.
Has your hospital struggled to prepare for an influx of H1N1 cases? Do you anticipate more training in the future?
About the Author: Heather Comak is a Managing Editor at HCPro, Inc., where she is the editor of the monthly publication Briefings on Patient Safety, as well as patient safety-related books and audio conferences. She is also is the Assistant Director of the Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals.
Contact Heather by e-mailing hcomak@hcpro.com
