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McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital (MHMH) and Fort Hamilton Hospital are two of several area hospitals enforcing newer and stricter visitation rules in an effort to help prevent and contain the flu, specifically H1N1.
MHMH put new restrictions into effect Sept. 22 per request from the Greater Cincinnati Health Council (GCHC).
Under the new policy, no visitors under the age of 14 are permitted and visitors will not be permitted if they have respiratory symptoms, fevers or coughs.
According to the GCHC, most hospitals in the Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana areas are enacting tougher policies to keep patients healthier.
Sylvia Moore, administrative assistant to the MHMH CEO, said McCullough-Hyde also is following the GCHC's suggestion by placing educational posters about visiting restrictions and flu prevention methods around the hospital. Facemasks and alcohol-based hand sanitizer are available throughout the building.
Moore also said hospital employees are reminding visitors and patients about the flu vaccine.
Beckie Williams, infection preventionist at Fort Hamilton Hospital, said the GCHC has launched a community-wide public health initiative to better protect the community.
"Our goal is to be consistent as possible with area hospitals," Williams said. "We do not want anyone to be singled out, so we are all doing the same thing."
Fort Hamilton Hospital enacted their new visitation policies Sept. 28.
The policy is geared toward children under 14 because, according to Williams, children are also at a higher risk for contracting the disease because they can carry a variety of illnesses before actually showing symptoms.
For this reason, Williams said Fort Hamilton has made the main lobby and the cafeteria "kid-friendly zones" so parents with young children can still visit friends and family who are patients, but not put their children at risk for getting sick or getting another patient sick.
According to Moore, since Aug. 1, 347 flu tests have been completed at MHMH with 24 coming back positive for Influenza A. Moore said the Ohio Department of Health completes H1N1 testing based on criteria that must be met by the patient.
Eulin Kuranga, infection preventionist for MHMH, said McCullough-Hyde performs rapid testing for Influenza A and then if certain criteria are met, the test is sent to the state of Ohio and possibly the Center for Disease Control for confirmation of the H1N1 virus.
"There are only three places that do the testing for H1N1, so our test has to be (positive for) Influenza A before we send it out," Kuranga said.
Williams said if the hospital wants to confirm whether a patient specifically has H1N1 or not, the patient's test has to be sent out.
"The Ohio Department of Health has advised that if (the hospital) wants to know for sure and if the patient is hospitalized we can send it out to get sub-typed," Williams said.
Williams also said Fort Hamilton also tests for Influenza A, which can be either the seasonal flu or H1N1. Williams said both seasonal flu and H1N1 have the same treatment protocol, meaning it becomes physician discretion as to whether the test gets sent out for further testing or not.
Despite tighter visiting restrictions, patients coming to MHMH to seek care will not be treated any differently, Moore said. Those coming in with flu-like symptoms will be treated according to the symptoms they are exhibiting and no prescription medicine will be distributed because the flu is a viral illness for which no prescription cures are available.
"The treatment we're recommending is to go home, drink plenty of liquids, stay inside and follow any other instructions given by the doctor," Moore said.
Moore also said if a patient exhibits symptoms that are so severe MHMH cannot adequately treat them any longer, they will be transferred to a facility that can treat them.
Above all else, Moore said she recommends going to see a doctor or going to Miami University's Student Health Services if ill symptoms arise.
"It's important to get treated immediately because serious upper respiratory illnesses could develop," Moore said.
