Flu; influenza | Figure 1

Flu; influenza

Well, it’s here! 1st influenza type B presented in our Pediatric Clinic today!

Patient Cases

  1. 20 y/0 female presents with fever, body aches, chills, fatigue, light headedness/dizziness, productive cough, ear and throat pain, shakiness, runny nose, and chest congestion. Flu tests are negative, but pt states it has been confirmed she was exposed to flu type A. Breathe sounds clear bilaterally except some wheezing upon coughing. Redness and inflammation visible in throat and ears. Lymph nodes in neck are swollen. Pt also states history of Bronchitis the past several years. Vitals are as follows: B/p 140/78, Pulse 135, Temp 100.5, O2 98%, R 27 and labored.

  2. A variant case - A @DrsWithoutBorders pediatrician treats a little girl with measles who arrived at our hospital in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a state of shock and severely dehydrated. If not treated on time, children with measles can develop severe medical complications. Since March 2012, @DrsWithoutBorders has been fighting a measles epidemic which affects tens of thousands of children in DRC. Vaccination is the best form of protection against measles; even after the disease has begun to spread, vaccination can still reduce the number of cases and deaths.

  3. Rapid flu tests query - Has anyone else seen this on these rapid flu tests? These tests were done on a patient with influenza-like symptoms. She was also positive for COVID. The weird part is the first rapid flu test showed an extra line outside the parameter. Lot number of tests was verified and no one else using these tests had abnormal or erroneous readings.

  4. Vaccine hypersensitivity information - Twinrix (a vaccine with a combination of Hepatitis A & Hepatitis B) should NOT be administered to those with hypersensitivity to:

    • A. Gluten
    • B. Yeast
    • C. Eggs
    • D. Dairy

  5. Trending case - A 52-year-old man presented with a 20-minute history of chest pain radiating to the left shoulder and neck, associated with dyspnea and diaphoresis. He had a history of hypertension, long-term smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle. On physical examination, bibasilar crackles were noted on lung auscultation.

  6. Pruritus case - A 28-year-old woman presented with a 3-day history of intense pruritus over the lower back. She cares for a kennel with approximately eight dogs rescued from the streets. Physical examination revealed multiple small vesicles, some clustered and others scattered, predominantly involving the lumbar region and left gluteal area.

  7. Infant skin lesions - A 4-month-old male infant presented with skin lesions localized to the chin for the past 3 days. Physical examination revealed multiple small pustules with surrounding inflammatory signs on the chin, along with a few scattered papules on the chest.

  8. Cardiac case query - Patient in late teens presenting after a collapse, with no chest pain and no previous cardiac history. Are there any features in this EKG that would warrant further work-up or is this just a pediatric EKG?