First H1N1-related death reported in Aiken County 10/31/2009 12:20 AM By KAREN DAILY Staff writer
The Wednesday death of an Aiken nurse appears to be the first documented fatality in Aiken County being linked to the H1N1 virus, according to officials.
Lois Hunter, 54, died from acute respiratory distress due to influenza A, H1N1, confirmed Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton on Friday.
Her death has been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"This is the first (H1N1-related death) that I am aware of in Aiken," Carlton said. "If you look at her profile, however, it reflects what we have been hearing on the state and national level about H1N1-related deaths."
Hunter had a pre-existing congenital pulmonary disease, which affected her ability to breathe, Carlton said, and her immune system was compromised when she was admitted to Aiken Regional Medical Centers on Oct. 17. Hunter was admitted for fatigue and was suffering with respiratory issues.
Carlton said there is no way of knowing where Hunter was exposed to the flu. She had a flu vaccine about two or three weeks before she was admitted to the Aiken hospital, but it is not clear what type of flu shot she received.
Hunter was being treated at Aiken Regional Medical Centers until early Wednesday morning. She died as she was being transported by ambulance to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where she was to undergo advanced care. She was taken to Trident Medical Center in North Charleston after she went into cardiac arrest. She was pronounced dead at 2:55 a.m.
Mary Brown, RN MSN, an infection prevention specialist at Aiken Regional, said the hospital adheres to strict safety protocol to ensure flu patients do not infect others. All suspected flu patients are given masks to wear and are isolated from other patients and staff.
Patients who are admitted are placed in "special interim precaution" rooms, in which all who enter must wear masks. More serious cases require all who enter to wear masks, goggles, gloves and gowns. Visitors are also strongly discouraged for those suspected of having the flu.
Brown said housekeepers frequently sanitize all surfaces in the hospital, particularly in the emergency room.
While only six cases of H1N1 have been confirmed at Aiken Regional, Brown said there are a number of others that have been suspected. Since treatment protocol would be the same for positive or negative testing, the Centers for Disease Control does not recommend testing for every case.
Brown said that this particular flu is in its second wave, the first having hit last spring. She said health officials are hopeful that a third wave does not occur in the spring, but will continue to maintain health precautions as needed.
"We'll keep doing all the things we do to protect the staff and the patients for as long as we need to," she said.
Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.
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Comment Title: Please-educate yourself
I am outraged at your comments. For your information -Lois wasn't working at the hospital when she caught H1N1. Also FYI- you could be standing in the grocery store next to someone who has it and not even know it. You can catch it anywhere. Also, you transfer someone to another hospital when there is nothing more you can do-MUSC was her only hope. Aiken Regional had tried everything. Any other hospital would have been doing the same thing. Lois was a fine and caring women who was an awesome nurse. Maybe through her death we can all be educated on H1N1. If you have existing medical conditions, young or elderly then you need to take serious precautions against H1N1. When she caught the virus the vaccine was not available yet. Please don't make nasty comments when you don't know the whole story. This is a family who is suffering deeply and we should show them the upmost respect.
Posted by: On: 11/2/2009
Comment Title: God Bless You
We are so sorry for your loss. May God bless you and your family.
Posted by: On: 11/1/2009
Comment Title: Charlie Charlie
Charlie we would hope that Scott Hunter was taking care of his wife's funeral arrangements and family affairs rather than worrying himself with what got printed in the paper the day before her funeral. You suffering from delusions or just trying to kiss Scott Hunter's a@@ for a job or some other reason.
Posted by: On: 11/1/2009
Comment Title: Damage Control
Charlie Law what are you talking about? This is nothing more than damage control. You have to be able to read between the lines of the article. One of the primary purposes of the article was an attempt to protect the business at Aiken Regional Hospital where one of their own, a nurse, caught the swine flu and/or was hospitalized there for an extended period of time with this flu. Dollar to a doughnut others have also caught this flu while there, but they won't print that information. If she would have immediately gone to MCG or University Hospital she would still be alive. Why would you rush someone from one hospital to another after he's been there for more than a week under you care only to have them die enroute? That doesn't make any sense. What do you think Charlie?
Posted by: Charlie Law On: 10/31/2009
Comment Title:
Like so many others, I've been saddened by the news of Lois Hunter's death and am praying for her husband and daughter. It's typical of Scott Hunter's professionalism that this detailed, informative follow-up piece would run in the newspaper he publishes.
Posted by: Michael Gibbons, Managing Editor On: 10/31/2009
Comment Title:
The Aiken Standard reported on this once a coroner's report was released, as we do in each and every case. Please feel free to contact me with questions. Michael Gibbons Managing Editor 803-644-2381
Posted by: On: 10/31/2009
Comment Title: Delpyed Disclosure
Why did it take the Aiken Standard more than two days to disclose the fact that the death was related to the swine flu and associated with Aiken Regional Hospital?
Posted by: Charlie Sowell On: 10/31/2009
Comment Title: Condolences
Scott, I am sorry to learn of your wife's death. My prayers are with you and the family
Posted by: On: 10/31/2009
Comment Title:
so sorry for your loss. my thoughts are with the family and friends.
Posted by: Gingrey On: 10/31/2009
Comment Title:
so so sorry for the Hunters. Only God and time will help. But eventually it will help. God bless.
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