The Irish Medical Organisation has warned that the flu had hit Ireland “fast and hard” and will add enormous strain to the already stretched public hospital system.
Consultant in Emergency Medicine in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin and a member of the Consultant Committee of the IMO Dr Peadar Gilligan said that flu has come early and is accelerating in terms of the number of cases presenting to GPs and Emergency Departments.
“There was a doubling of cases over the course of the last two weeks reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, he said.
“The number of people hospitalised with influenza is in excess of 500 currently and is projected to exceed 1,000 in the coming weeks.”
He added that in real terms that means the equivalent of two large hospitals in a system hugely challenged by the lack of hospital beds.
“To date nine people have died from influenza in Ireland this flu season, all but one of whom were over 65 years of age,” he said.
Dr Gilligan said that the surge in patients needing hospital beds has again highlighted the shortage of beds in the system here.
He said; “Irish acute hospitals run at 97% to 110% occupancy due to inadequate capacity in the system to address the health care needs of our population.
“This allows for little or no capacity to deal with any increase in workload. Most Irish acute hospitals, even before the influenza season started, were utilising their surge capacity i.e. sitting in-patients in chairs, managing in-patients on trolleys in day wards, in endoscopy suites, in cardiology day wards, as extra patients on wards and on the corridors of Emergency Departments and wards.
“The rise in patient attendances to Emergency Departments and the associated increased numbers requiring admission to hospital leads to real challenges in providing safe care.”
Dr Gilligan urged the public, particularly vulnerable patients, to get the flu vaccine as quickly as possible and to avoid contact with others if any symptoms are showing (runny nose, cough, lack of energy etc).
He said “If you have these symptoms and have to be in contact with others wear a mask, wash your hands regularly and limit the contact time. Not all patients with the flu need to seek medical attention.
“The symptoms tend to last for two weeks. Viruses do not respond to antibiotics and so the treatment is to keep well hydrated with oral fluids, treat the aches and pains with paracetamol and ibuprofen if you are not allergic to them.
“Consider seeking medical attention if you get the flu and are sick with it and are immunocompromised, have a respiratory condition, are obese or if you feel markedly short of breath or are unable to keep hydrated,” he said.