Influenza: Risk Factors and Complications (Nursing)

00:00 So what do we do if you find yourself infected, is there an effective treatment after exposure to influenza A or B? Yeah, I remember which one is going to be worse.

00:11 Right, usually A.

00:13 Good job! So let's get back to that treatment.

00:16 What about, is there an effective treatment after exposure to it? The answer is yes, and that's a good thing, but you need to keep in mind antiviral drugs for influenza are available for prophylaxis after exposure, but there's one critically important issue that you need to keep in mind.

00:36 So hang on to that thought we'll come back to it.

00:39 Now how many types of antiviral drugs are there for influenza that's important to know.

00:44 Well, we've got a couple of them, right? We've got two types of antiviral drugs for influenza.

00:51 Why do I keep saying antiviral? Because remember antibiotics are not going to help us with influenza those are for antibiotics kill bacteria and these are viruses.

01:04 So we're looking at options for antiviral drugs that are going to take out influenza.

01:09 We're look at adamantanes and Neuraminidase inhibitors.

01:13 Those are both mouthfuls.

01:15 But let's break them down.

01:17 On the first on the left.

01:19 We're talking about the first influenza drugs that were available but most current strains of influenza A and all of influenza B strains are resistant to this group of drugs.

01:30 So it used to be better news than it is right now, but they're the first ones available and they're just not as effective anymore.

01:37 So they're not even recommended by the CDC for treatment of influenza A and B.

01:43 So thanks for your work.

01:45 But we're going to Marie Kondo these right we're going to send them on their way.

01:49 Appreciate what you did for us, but these aren't going to be the group's of meds that you take during influenza.

01:54 Now, the second group is an neuraminidase Inhibitors.

01:58 That's a different story.

02:00 But think through this first, who's going to be at risk for flu, who's going to most need these drugs? Well, we have vulnerable populations.

02:09 These are the ones that are most at risk if someone has already has a pneumonia they have bronchitis, they have asthma, chronic diseases at put them more at risk.

02:20 They might have cardiac issues or heart problems.

02:23 They have rabbit ear infections over multiple periods of time.

02:26 I've got patients who are immunosuppressed people who have diabetes.

02:30 These there's a lot of risk factors for people that can have problems with the flu.

02:36 So let's look at those in a little more detail.

02:39 Now, these are people that are at increased risk to contract influenza or develop complications.

02:46 So don't miss that point at the top, underline contract influenza or develop complications.

02:54 Okay.

02:54 So first let's talk about age like everything else the really young and the old, those are the most vulnerable populations for contracting flu and developing complications and just about everything else. Right? This is the most fragile period of most people's lives when they're really really young or as they're aging they're really young, remember their systems are still immature.

03:18 They're really old their systems are almost getting worn out.

03:22 So that's why they're at different risk levels, but they're both vulnerable populations.

03:28 Now people with chronic illnesses.

03:29 We talked about that that in the previous slide.

03:31 Patients have diabetes, who have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

03:36 They've got cardiac disease.

03:38 They've got cystic fibrosis or have had a history of a stroke.

03:42 These are patients that are going to be strongly recommended to take the flu vaccine.

03:47 Now people who live in long-term care facilities like nursing homes or medical rehabs.

03:53 They're also at high risk.

03:55 They're usually a little immuno compromised and they're exposed to a lot of people in their living environment.

04:02 So that's why they're at risk.

04:04 Also people that work in these environments are at risk.

04:07 Pregnant women.

04:09 Pregnant women and for two weeks postpartum their own immune system is a little down.

04:14 So they're at increased risk to contract the flu and to develop complications.

04:19 So it's really important for all of these groups of people not to expose himself to people who do have the flu.

04:26 Now anyone with a widespread immune system problem they're immuno compromised, They are on chemotherapy that's knocked out their immune system.

04:33 They have HIV or Aids and they're not at a strong spot with HIV.

04:37 Maybe their viral load is kind of high, their immune system is struggling or full-blown AIDS is where you cannot fight off any opportunistic infection let alone influenza.

04:47 Now lastly people with obesity.

04:50 They have a BMI of 40 or higher are also at an increased risk to contract influenza and develop complications.

04:58 So take a look at this list.

05:00 We've got six boxes up there, but that's a pretty extensive list.

05:05 So this would be a good place for you to pause.

05:08 Take a minute step back.

05:10 Look at the big picture of these and think how can I chunk this information in my brain? What's going to work best for me to remember these categories? Well, first overall, I'd be thinking each one of these has come a unique risk factors.

05:24 Is that a way I could chunk it, but I want you to pause and you find the system that best works for you.