Sweden: 22 year old man /artificial lung treatment/ NO underlying conditions

[theforeigner]

Front page story in todays Swedish main newspaper Aftonbladet

(my translation)

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article5536509.ab

Publiced: 2009-07-20


Life-Threatening Influenza ill man

Situation is becoming worse and worse for the 22-year-old man who is cared for with swine influenza in Norrk?ping.

He now fights for his life.

Doctors are preparing for an artificial lung.

The man was hospitalized last week after it was found that had developed a severe pneumonia. The disease requires treatment by a ventilator.

Artificial lung
On Monday came information that the man's condition has become worse. He is fighting now for his life and the care of respirator is no longer suffices.

Now efforts are prepared with an artificial lung, known as ECMO-treatment, writes Dagens Nyheter.

- Despite increased oxygen supply the oxygen saturation in the blood is falling, " says Christer Liedgren to DN.se.

Already on Sunday Vrinnevi Hospital took contact with ECMO team at the Karolinska University Hospital (KS) in Stockholm.

On Monday, the ECMO treatment will start at the Vrinnevi Hospital. Where the patient then will be cared for, is still unclear.

According to Christer Liedgren he will be moved.

Was completely healthy
The 22-year-old is a previously completely healthy man. He was probably infected by a relative who had been traveling in Southern Europe. Doctors have no explanation for why the 22-year-old has been hit so hard. The case is described as the, so far, most serious case of H1N1-flu in Sweden.

- There is nothing in his condition picture that explains why he hit so hard, "says Liedgren.

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article5536509.ab

Publicerad: 2009-07-20

Livshotande f?r influensasjuk man

L?get blir allt v?rre f?r den 22-?rige man som v?rdas f?r svininfluensa i Norrk?ping.

Han k?mpar nu f?r sitt liv.

Samtidigt f?rbereder l?karna att s?ta in en konstgjord lunga.

Mannen lades in p? sjukhus i f?rra veckan sedan det konstaterats att hans influensa ?verg?tt i en sv?r lunginflammation. Sjukdomen fordrar behandling i respirator.

Konstgjord lunga
P? m?ndagen kom besked att mannens tillst?nd blivit s?mre. Han k?mpar nu f?r sitt liv och v?rden i respirator r?cker inte l?ngre till.

Nu f?rbereds insatser med en konstgjord lunga, s? kallad ECMO-behandling, skriver Dagens Nyheter.

? Trots ?kad syretillf?rsel ?r syrem?ttnaden i blodet sjunkande, s?ger Christer Liedgren till DN.se.

Redan p? s?ndagen tog Vrinnevisjukhuset kontakt med ECMO-teamet p? Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset (KS) i Stockholm.

P? m?ndagen kommer behandlingen att starta p? Vrinnevi. Var patienten d?refter kommer att v?rdas ?r ?nnu oklart.

Enligt Christer Liedgren kommer han att beh?va f?rflyttas.

Var helt frisk
22-?ringen ?r en tidigare helt frisk man. Han smittades troligtvis av en anh?rig som varit p? resa i Sydeuropa. L?karna har ingen f?rklaring till varf?r just 22-?ringen har drabbats s? h?rt. Fallet beskrivs som det allvarligaste hittils av H1N1-influensan i Sverige.

? Det finns ingenting i hans sjukdomsbild som f?rklarar varf?r han drabbats s? h?rt, s?ger Liedgren.

[theforeigner]

Re: Sweden: 22 year old man /artificial lung treatment/ NO underlying conditions

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&format=1&artikel=2979589

20/07/2009
Swine Flu Man in Critical Condition
A 22-two-year-old man being treated for swine flu (H1N1) in Norrk?ping is now listed in critical condition.

The man, who suffers from the worst case of swine flu in Sweden so far, developed pneumonia as a result of his initial influenza. He has been on a respirator in intensive care for a number of days, but his condition worsened drastically within the last 24 hours.

"We don?t know why his condition has gotten worse, but it?s in the nature of the virus-you can get worse or better," said head doctor Christer Liedgren to Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet.

The man will now receive an artificial lung, which will provide his blood with oxygen while his own lungs get a chance to heal.

[theforeigner]

Re: Sweden: 22 year old man /artificial lung treatment/ NO underlying conditions

Swine flu infection threatens Swede's life

Published: 20 Jul 09 10:50 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/20792/20090720/



Doctors at Vrinnevi hospital in Norrk?ping in eastern Sweden fear for the life of the 22-year-old Swede being treated for a swine flu infection after he failed to respond to treatment.


?Swine flu infection puts Swede on respirator (16 Jul 09)
?Pandemic fears prompt new flu guidelines (15 Jul 09)
?Swine flu to infect over 400,000 Swedes: agency (14 Jul 09)


The condition of the man, who became ill with the AH1N1 virus after returning from a holiday in southern Europe, is reported to have worsened overnight and is now described as life-threatening.

Chief physician at Vrinnevi hospital, Christer Liedgren, told newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN) on Monday morning that treatment of the 22-year-old with a respirator had not worked and he is now going to be put on a heart-lung machine, so-called ECMO treatment.

"The patient's lungs are not working as they should. The treatment needs to begin today," Liedgren told DN.

ECMO treatment, which stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, is however only available in Stockholm and it is as yet unclear if the patient will be offered immediate treatment.

The 22-year-old's treatment is being managed by Karolinska University hospital in Solna and staff from the hospital will travel to Norrk?ping to oversee the procedure.

It is neither known why the man's condition had worsened over night and Liedgren confirmed to the newspaper that there had been no complications.

The 22-year-old man became ill on July 11th and was prescribed the anti-flu drug Tamiflu. The patient, while no longer contagious, developed pneumonia as a result of the infection

[theforeigner]

Re: Sweden: 22 year old man /artificial lung treatment/ NO underlying conditions

I just spoke with Dr. Christer Liedgren on the phone and he confirmed that the 22-year old man has NO underlying conditions.

I invited the doctor to this website and told him that, if he found it interesting, we would be very happy if he would contribute with information on the Swedish H1N1 situation.
He promised that he would check out FT.

Hope to see him posting.

[sharon sanders]

Re: Sweden: 22 year old man /artificial lung treatment/ NO underlying conditions

Thank you theforeigner.

Several interesting points; No previous health problems, possibly infected by a person from southern Europe, on tamiflu for a week and still getting worse.

My best wishes to him and his family. I have a 18 year old son.

[theforeigner]

Re: Sweden: 22 year old man /artificial lung treatment/ NO underlying conditions

Thank you theforeigner.

Several interesting points; No previous health problems, possibly infected by a person from southern Europe, on tamiflu for a week and still getting worse.

My best wishes to him and his family. I have a 18 year old son.

My pleasure Florida.

And yes it is a very interesting, worrying and sad case, we just have to hope and pray to that he recover.

I really hope that the doctor, Dr. Christer Liedgren, who treat the young sick man, decide to become a member her on TF, and contribute with his knowledge.
It is IMO of huge value to have doctors, nurses ect, who are right there by the patiens side, to share how this ilness is behaving and devloping.


By the way I read in one of the articles on the 22-year old H1N1 patient, that a 21-year old swedish (healthy ? do you know Dr Christer Liedgren? ) young woman is in critical H1N1 condition in the ICU in israel:


(My translation)

http://www.expressen.se/halsa/1.1642229/22-aring-med-svininfluensa-vardas-i-respirator-i-norrkoping

Swedish woman treated in Israel

Since the end of last week a 21-year-old Swedish woman has been treated in hospital in Israel after she had to have fallen ill with swine flu.
She was hospitalized at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, in the Intensive Care Unit. Yet on Thursday, they assessed her condition as serious.
She was still in ventilator treatment .
- Her condition is better than when she came in. We experienced an improvement, but since then it is unchanged. present situation is critical but stable, "said Professor Yehuda Carmeli, head of the epidemiology department at the hospital.

http://www.expressen.se/halsa/1.1642229/22-aring-med-svininfluensa-vardas-i-respirator-i-norrkoping

Svensk kvinna v?rdas i Israel
Sedan i slutet av f?rra veckan v?rdas en 21-?rig svensk kvinna p? sjukhus i Israel efter att hastigt ha insjuknat i svininfluensa.
Hon lades in p? Ichilov-sjukhusets intensivavdelning i Tel Aviv. ?nnu p? torsdagen bed?mdes hennes tillst?nd som allvarligt.
Hon v?rdades d? fortfarande i respirator.
? Hennes tillst?nd ?r b?ttre ?n n?r hon lades in. Vi upplevde en f?rb?ttring men sedan dess ?r det of?r?ndrat. L?get ?r kritiskt men stabilt, s?ger professor Yehuda Carmeli, chef f?r epidemiologiska avdelningen p? sjukhuset.

[theforeigner]

Re: Sweden: 22 year old man /artificial lung treatment/ NO underlying conditions

This is a newsreport on the 22-year old young man, publiced 2 days ago:


22-year-old was sent home without the right medicine

Publiced 18 juli 2009

NORRKØPING / STOCKHOLM.
22-year-old in Norrköping still cared for in ventilator against swine influenza.
Four days earlier, he had sought treatment - but tested negative and denied Tamiflu.

There are probably some people in Sweden who have had the flu but did not have the right diagnosis, "says Bengt Normann, bio doctors at the county council of Östergötland.

Before the 22-year-old on Tuesday was sedated to get respiratory care, he said to his girlfriend: "See you on Friday."
But yesterday, the doctor realized that the value from the lungs had not improved and that they could not wake him.

- We have no idea how long he will be sedated, says Christer Liedgren, chief consultant at Vrinnevi Hospital in Norrköping.

The 22-year-old may have been infected by his girlfriend. Two weeks ago, the girlfriend came home from a holiday to Cyprus. Unknowingly, she had brought with them pigs flu.
- The day after, I felt dull and had fever, nothing more than that, "she says.


The tests showed errors

On Wednesday last week the boyfriend developed 40-degree fever. He searched the emergency room. -
But we were sent home and he got some sort of respiratory medicine, says girlfriend.
Tests showed that he had not swine flu.

- I believe that these samples can fail. Those methods is never 100 percent safe, "says Bengt Normann on bio device.

The parents of the young man still have confidence in health care:
- We have been treated completely professionally, it has been very good medical care. Both the emergency room and intensive care, they say to Expressen.
According to Health and Welfare, it is no longer possible to prevent the spread of swine flu. Instead, one should mitigate the consequences.
Health and Welfare has developed a new stratergy inspired by World Health Organization's pandemic alert .
- Now we go entirely on how people feel. It is they who have alleged symptoms or is in a risk group who are receiving treatment.
Those who are not seriously ill or have no underlying diseases insted get general advice, " says Johan Struwe, Chief at the Infectious Diseases Institute.
The stock of medicine, Tamiflu, is expected to reach about 20 percent of Swedes.
- It is the doctor who assesses whether it should be initiated. While there are guidelines, "says Johan Struwe.

http://www.expressen.se/halsa/1.1643615/22-aringen-skickades-hem-utan-ratt-medicin

Publicerat 18 juli 2009

22-åringen skickades hem utan rätt medicin
NORRKPING/STOCKHOLM. 22-åringen i Norrköping vårdas fortfarande med respirator mot svininfluensa.
Fyra dagar tidigare hade han sökt vård - men testats negativt och nekats Tamiflu.
- Det finns nog en del personer i Sverige som har haft den här influensan men inte fått rätt diagnos, säger Bengt Normann, smittskyddsläkare vid landstinget i Östergötland.
Innan 22-åringen i tisdags sövdes för att få respiratorvård sa han till sin flickvän: "Vi ses på fredag."
Men i går konstaterade läkare att värdet från lungorna inte hade blivit bättre och att de inte kunde väcka honom.
- Vi har ingen som helst aning om hur länge han kommer att ligga sövd, säger Christer Liedgren, chefsöverläkare på Vrinnevisjukhuset i Norrköping.
22-åringen kan ha smittats av sin flickvän. För två veckor sedan kom flickvännen hem från en semesterresa till Cypern. Ovetandes hade hon burit med sig svininfluensan.
- Dagen efter kände jag mig matt och hade feber, mer var det inte, säger hon.


Testen visade fel
I onsdags i förra veckan fick pojkvännen 40 graders feber. Han sökte sig till akuten.
- Men vi blev hemskickade och han fick någon sorts andningsmedicin, berättar flickvännen.
Testerna visade då att han inte hade svininfluensan.
- Jag har uppfattningen att de här proverna kan misslyckas. Såna här metoder är aldrig 100 procent säkra, säger Bengt Normann vid smittskyddsenheten.
Föräldrarna har dock fortfarande förtroende för vården:
- Vi har blivit behandlade helt professionellt, det har varit mycket bra sjukvård. Både på akuten och på intensivvården, säger de till Expressen.
Enligt Socialstyrelsen är det inte längre möjligt att hindra spridningen av svininfluensan. I stället ska man lindra följderna.
Socialstyrelsen har efter Världshälsoorganisationen WHO:s pandemilarm tagit fram en ny strategi.
- Nu går man helt på hur folk mår. Det är de som har påtalade symptom eller är i en riskgrupp som får behandling. De som inte är allvarligt sjuka eller har några underliggande sjukdomar får i stället allmänna råd, säger Johan Struwe, överläkare vid smittskyddsinstitutet.
Det befinliga lagret av medicinen Tamiflu beräknas räcka till cirka 20 procent av svenskarna.
- Det är läkaren som bedömer om det ska sättas in. Även där finns riktlinjer, säger Johan Struwe.

[Nordica]

Re: Sweden: 22 year old man /artificial lung treatment/ NO underlying conditions

He is still in hospital after 1 month, and the situation is still critical.

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/svininfluensan/article5677622.ab

[theforeigner]

Re: Sweden: 22 year old man /artificial lung treatment/ NO underlying conditions

He is still in hospital after 1 month, and the situation is still critical.

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/sv...icle5677622.ab

Here is a translation of the above newsreport:


Michael, 22, is still seriously ill

Were infected in early June.
Girlfriend: The doctors did not take it seriously

Michael, 22, is the Swedish worst hit by the flu.

For over a month, he was admitted to hospital - and the state is still life threatening.

- I'm angry that the doctors didn?t take it seriously, says his girlfriend Anna.

Michael from Norrk?ping care right now at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm.

Doctors are still assessing his condition as life threatening.

- It's been terrible. Michael's condition was critical on several occasions, "says Anna.

She said that she was infected as Michael in early July.

- I was infected in Cyprus without knowing it. And when I came back to Sweden, it was I who infected Michael.

Feel guilty
Anna says she feels guilty.

- There are days when everything feels like my fault. But it was not swine flu that made him so ill - it was doctors' negligence.

Anna tells how Michael sought treatment in Norrk?ping as soon as he got symptoms.

- But they did not take it seriously, but sent him home with Panodil. It makes me so angry because it exacerbated everything.

Back home, Michael was just worse.

- We went back a few days later, when tests showed that he had swine flu.

At the hospital in the Norrkoping his condition deteriorated.

Severe pneumonia
Michael had severe pneumonia and breathing became harder.

Finally respirator was not enough to help him.

Michael moved to the Karolinska in Stockholm in order to gain access to a special heart-lung machine.

With the help of the doctors were pumping his blood to an artificial lung through a tube that is implanted in his neck.

The oxygen could then be added to the blood that was pumped back into the body via a tube that was put into his groin.

- I have tried to go there as much as possible. But Michael has been sedated and we have not been able to talk. It has been a nightmare, "says Anna.

She hopes that her boyfriend will soon be home.

- In recent days, his lungs worked more on their own. And doctors can keep him awake longer than before. I wanted so badly to get him home, "says Anna.

(Michael and Anna is not their real names.)


Text below a picture in the newsreport.
Moved to Karolinska After having been treated in Norrk?ping in a few weeks became Michael's condition continues to deteriorate. On 21 July he was moved to the Karolinska in Solna. Where he received treatment with an artificial lung for a month now. Michael is still not healthy.