Advice provided by Dr. Liam Plant,
National Clinical Director,
National Renal Office, 31st July 2009.
Patients should be aware that those with kidney disease and or those taking immumo-suppressants medications (transplantation) are viewed as a ‘Defined Risk’ group. The advice for these patients is slightly different to that for the general population. What to do if you think you may have swine ‘flu: If you experience a SUDDEN ONSET OF FEVER, in a 6 hour period, a high temperature (over 38°c) or any of the following symptoms, listed below, your first step should be to contact your GP by telephone, explain your circumstances and ask for their advice on how to proceed. If they ask you to contact your Renal Unit, your first point of contact should be with your Renal Nurse Counsellor – by telephone. It is recommended that if renal patients contract swine flu anti virals should be administered. Preventative treatment is not required if renal patients are in contact with high risk groups. • Headache
• Runny nose
• Cough
• Muscle ache
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
Anti-Virals:
• Testing has shown that the swine ‘flu can be treated with the anti-viral medicines oseltamavir (brand name Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza).
• However, these drugs are only effective if administered within 48 hours of initial symptoms.
• The anti-virals generally cut the duration of the symptoms of swine ‘flu by one day.
• It is important to note that Tamiflu does not interact with Cyclosporine or Prograf.
• If a person has a low level of kidney function, a smaller dose of Tamiflu is needed. Patients need to discuss this with their own Doctor.
Can I reduce the risk of infection?
You can reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of catching or spreading swine ‘flu by:
• Always covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing
• Disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully
• Maintaining good basic hygiene, for example; washing hands frequently with soap and warm water to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to face or to other people
• Cleaning hard surfaces, such as door handles, frequently, using a normal cleaning product.
On-line information: The following website is recommended:
www.swineflu.ie
A 24 hour helpline freephone number is available: 1800 94 1100
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