Health

Swine flu seriously damages lungs
by Magdalena Rosova

American researchers reported on Thursday that swine flu can cause various unusual damage in the lungs. The researchers published two studies in the American Journal of Roentgenology and say there is need to check X-rays and CT scans for these unusual features. Furthermore they warn that swine flu can be tricky to diagnose in some of the sickest patients. Although the new pandemic H1N1 flu is not deadly it is sickening mostly children and young adults who are usually not effected by seasonal flu. Now clinicians can recognize possible cases of pandemic H1N1 influenza in high-risk groups and are able to order the appropriate diagnostic test. One man who died of swine ! flu was diagnosed only after death, when doctors recognized unusual finding on his X-rays. Now it may help doctors to save lives of other patients with similar problems. The mad was very ill and had fever, but his tests were negative for flu, therefore doctors did not treat him for it. After five days in hospital the patient died. Doctors found that his lungs were damaged by the virus. In another study researchers tested other patients with severe cases of swine flu. Tests proved that many had pulmonary emboli, which block the arteries in the lungs. Doctors know that there are anticoagulant drugs which are able to break up the clots and save lives of suffering patients. The team of doctors performed X-rays and CT scans on 66 patients diagnosed with swine flu. 14 patients were in the intensive care unit. The study suggests that patients who are severe ill are also at risk for developing pulmonary emboli. This is an important discovery, because normally emboli in not s! een in flu.

related story (sgx15639): http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090702/full/news.2009.617.ht...

by Magdalena Rosova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.

posted by Blog TechSource @ 1:38 PM