Asthma Is Most Prevalent Underlying Illness Among Most Serious H1N1 Cases

Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) view updated statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with concern - new data shows that 26 percent of patients who have been hospitalized for H1N1 flu this season had asthma. About 1,400 adults and about 500 children have been hospitalized with H1N1 since the pandemic began this summer; 81 children have died of complications from H1N1, the CDC reports.

Most adults hospitalized with H1N1 - about 45 percent - had an underlying illness before catching the new strain of flu. Asthma was the most common illness (26 percent), followed by 10 percent who had diabetes, 8 percent who had other chronic lung diseases and 7.6 percent with immunosuppressive disorders. About 6.1 percent of those hospitalized were pregnant women.

Although those with asthma are not necessarily more susceptible to H1N1 flu, they are at increased risk of developing complications from the virus. As a result, prevention and preparation are essential.

"In addition to hand-washing strategies, we stress three main measures to avoid getting or spreading H1N1 flu: medicate, hydrate and isolate," said Nancy Sander, President and Founder of AANMA, the leading patient advocacy group for allergy and asthma. "Use daily medications and introduce inhaled bronchodilators at the first sign of symptoms according to the written asthma action plan provided by your allergist. Keep hydrated; water is nature's medicine and vital to lung function. Isolate the family member and the spread of germs as soon as symptoms begin. AANMA offers many practical tips at our website and blogs.”

"It's important to get both the flu vaccine and the swine flu vaccine, both of which can help reduce asthma flares," said Stuart Stoloff, MD, a family physician and clinical professor at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Carson City, NV, and Vice Chair of AANMA's Board of Directors.

AANMA recommends people with asthma take the following steps to prepare for flu season:
• All patients with asthma should have a customized, written asthma action plan consistent with the federally funded, evidence-based National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP)'s Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Don't have one? Contact your allergist or medical care provider immediately.
• Use the drive-through window at your pharmacy to avoid standing in line with people who may have already become infected with H1N1.
• Ask your doctor about obtaining a prescription for the antiviral medication Tamiflu® (oseltamivir, the only one recommended for both H1N1 flu and people with asthma) for use at the first sign of flu symptoms.
• Get vaccinations for both seasonal and H1N1 flu as soon as they are available.
• People with asthma should get a traditional flu shot, not the inhaled nasal spray vaccine, which has been known to cause bronchospasm in some people with asthma.• Family members and caregivers of people with asthma should also get flu vaccinations as soon as possible.AANMA provides guidance for people with asthma to prevent H1N1 on its website. Visit AANMA's Pandemic Flu section for:• Important facts about H1N1 flu• A guide for families• Family Matters: Flu Preparedness at Home