Flu Fills Houston Emergency Rooms

January 21, 2008

By Kym Alvarado-Booth

UPDATED: 9:32 am CST January 10, 2008

HOUSTON -- Houston emergency rooms are filling up with flu sufferers,

KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.

" We've had whole families coming in, " said the head of emergency

medicine at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston's Medical Center.

Dr. Joan Shook told Local 2 that emergency rooms all across Houston

are being flooded with patients with flu-like symptoms.

But Shook doesn't believe the flu warrants a visit to the emergency

room because it can be treated at home with over-the-counter

medicines, rest and lots of fluids.

But she said that non-emergency influenza can be miserable for many.

" Real influenza is a viral illness that's marked by a high spiking

fever, dry cough and muscle aches and you can be sick seven to 10

days, " said Shook.

Shook suggested Tylenol or Motrin to bring down fever and plenty of water.

But foremost, she said call a private doctor or clinic before making a

trip to the ER.

She said she believes influenza will spread rapidly now that children

have returned to schools.

" Wash your hands and wash them often, " said Shook, to prevent the

spread of the live virus which comes from nasal and mouth droplets.

" Everyone 6 months and older should come in for a flu shot if they

have not this year, " said Dr. Laster, who works on the

preventive end of the highly contagious flu bug.

She reported a huge number of clients coming to the Texas Children's

Pediatric Associates Gulfton in southwest Houston with fever, muscle

aches and coughs.

Laster says clinics can quickly diagnose Influenza with rapid

diagnostic test that simply require a quick swab of the mouth and

results are available in minutes.

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