February 16, 2010
INFLUENZA UPDATE THROUGH FEBRUARY 6, 2010: The CDC recently reported on
the degree of current influenza activity in the United States and the
overall impact of the H1N1 epidemic. Since April 2009, the CDC estimates
that there have been 57 million cases of infection due to H1N1, 257,000
hospitalizations and 11,690 deaths. For pediatrics, the CDC estimates 19
million cases of infection in the 0-17 year old age group, 82,000
hospitalizations and 1,230 deaths. Keep in mind that these are all
estimates based upon the likelihood of “under-ascertainment” as a cause of
lower reported numbers. It is known that there have been 324 laboratory
confirmed pediatric deaths due to H1N1, 48 were confirmed as influenza but
the precise type is undetermined and two were due to seasonal influenza
strains. Overall disease activity remains low in the United States with
Influenza Like Illness rates noted to be elevated in three of 10 US
regions. A final quote from the CDC: These viruses remain similar to the
virus chosen for 2009 H1N1 vaccine, and remain susceptible to the
antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir, with rare exception.
MOLYBDENUM 99 SHORTAGE: Due to a worldwide shut down of two major reactors that produce Molybdenum 99, needed to produce Tc99m, a radiopharmaceutical used in nuclear medicine scans, our supplier cannot guarantee delivery of Tc99m from March 22 through April 2. During this time, our ability to perform most scans will be severely limited. This impacts our ability to
perform bone scans, brain scans, lung perfusion or ventilation,
liver/spleen scans and hepatobiliary, testicular and renal scans. We will
keep you posted of the status, but be advised that unless something
changes, there will be an impact. Questions? Call Elizabeth Ey, MD, at
937-641-3393 or Joanne Hand at 937-641-3491.
YOU’RE INVITED TO ATTEND A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION: At Dayton Children’s,
we know you share our commitment to caring for the region’s children – the
265,000 reasons we come to work every day. That’s the number of children
each year who benefit from the specialized pediatric care available right
here in our community. While the local, state and national economies are
still facing challenges, Dayton Children’s is working to meet the needs of
kids today and well into the future. However, there is still a lot of
work needed to continue to grow and thrive so that we can deliver the best
health care to children in our region. We want to hear from you! We
invite you to join in a community conversation about Dayton Children’s,
our role in the community and how we can better work with you to improve
pediatric health care in the Dayton region.
Please join us:
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton
Outpatient Conference Rooms
Lower Level
Please RSVP via e-mail at saundersj@childrensdayton.org or by calling
Jessica Saunders at 937-641-3385 by Friday, February 26.
CME online
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Dayton, Ohio 45404-1815
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