I went to an interesting inservice about the swine flu. It seems that the first wave was pretty mild but the virus most likely will mutate into a more virulent strain which could affect many more people. If it's anything like other pandemics, the health care system could be totally overwhelmed. They may have to implement certain criteria for treatment/non-treatment.
In Canada they use a MSOF (multi-system organ failure) scale. They give 1-4 points in each category depending on severity of symptoms. There is an arbitrary number to determine whether or not you get treated. If your number is low, you get no treatment because you most likely will survive without it. If your number is high, you get no treatment because you most likely will not survive. They score you every day. If your number rises even 1 point too high you will be taken off the ventilator you are on, given a shot of morphine and sent home with your family to die (most likely). Because there are a limited number of ventilators in the state, there probably would not be enough to treat everyone.
MSOF Scale
The presenter was an intensivist. He had a chart of the 14 patients treated in the facility where he works. Many were young adults, however one of the most interesting things they all had in common was a high BMI. That's right, they were all overweight! Do you know your own BMI? Please find out and do whatever you need to do to get it below 25. http://www.findmybmi.com I love you all -- Please stay HEALTHY!!
3 comments:
I love your blogs new look! HMMM that's interesting. For some reason I can't get too worked up over swine flu threat - do you think it will really overload hospitals that much?
I think the best thing for everyone is to just live in a bubble. So then no one would get hurt or sick anymore. Man-swine, swine go away!
Yeah - you would just LOVE living in a bubble, M! hahahahaha.
I know we all talked about this earlier today ... but still - how heartbreaking would it be to have a family member denied treatment? OMIHECK!!! I would be SO mad. They would have to haul me out kickin' and fightin' before I would just let one of my kids go.
Anyway ... I'm really scared to check out the bmi site. But - it'll be a good motivator, right? :)
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