October 27, 2009

To protect our high-risk patients from the H1N1 flu (infants, children and pregnant women), each of Mercy Medical Center -Des Moines (Central, West Lakes and Franklin campuses) and Iowa Health – Des Moines hospitals (Methodist, Lutheran, Blank Children’s and Methodist West) are implementing enhanced visitor guidelines this flu season.

Visitor Guidelines

To protect patients, families and health care staff, effective 7 a.m. Tuesday, October 27, visitors to all units of the hospitals will be limited. These guidelines are temporary and in effect during the flu season, and are subject to change as necessary. The enhanced guidelines are as follows:

• No more than two visitors at a time.
• Visitors need to be 18 years of age and older (including siblings of a newborn).
• Exceptions may be made for cases involving critically-ill patients or end-of-life situations.

All visitors need to be in good health. If a staff member sees visitors coughing or sneezing, they may request the visitor to wear a mask, or request the visitor to leave the patient care area. Visitors should refrain from visiting if they have had flu-like symptoms during the past seven days. Those symptoms include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Body aches
• Headache
• Chills
• Occasional diarrhea or vomiting

Additionally, to help prevent the spread of illness, all visitors are required to wash hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand foam/gel upon entering and exiting a patient’s room.

If you are visiting an ill patient, you may be required to wear a mask. Masks are provided for your protection as well as for those around you, and to help prevent the spread of flu-like illnesses.

Guidelines for Seeing the Doctor

If you or your child is ill with the symptoms listed above, consider rescheduling any non-emergent doctor appointment in order to limit exposure to others. If you or your child is sick, please call your health care provider before making an appointment or going to the emergency department. Your provider may be able to triage, provide care instructions and/or prescriptions over the phone.

However, if a child or young adult has any of the following signs, they should seek emergency medical care immediately:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not urinating or no tears when crying
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Please also note, clinics and emergency departments are not testing for H1N1 flu. If you are in an at-risk group consider receiving the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccine. Public health vaccination clinics are presently the only way to receive a H1N1 vaccine. Check with your county health department for these locations and times.

Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines will continue to partner with the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Polk County Health Department to monitor the status of the H1N1 influenza and its potential impact on our patients.  Visitation polices will continue to be reviewed and adjusted accordingly as changes are needed.

More information about seasonal and H1N1 influenza is available by visiting the Iowa Department of Public Health Web site at: http://www.idph.state.ia.us.  A statewide toll-free hotline is available for public questions about seasonal and H1N1 influenza at 1-800-447-1985.