Influenza: Symptoms, Complications and Risk Factors (Nursing)

00:00 So what are the symptoms of influenza? Well, you can have a fever over a 100.4, aching muscles, chills and sweats, headache, this dry persistent cough, could be really tired and feel weak, you don't feel like getting out of bed or off the couch.

00:16 Now if that isn't enough, your nose is all stuffed up and you have a really sore throat.

00:22 Not everyone has this laundry list for flu.

00:26 Some people have some of them some people have all of them.

00:29 It's just random, kind of all over the map.

00:33 But let's talk about the complications.

00:34 See, vulnerable populations are most at risk to develop pneumonia, bronchitis, I can have their asthma flare up or be exacerbated.

00:44 They say make their heart problems worse and they can also lead to ear infections.

00:49 So this list that you see right there are complications that can happen after the flu.

00:55 So as they're progressing through this process they get the flu complications are things that result because of the interaction that started due to the flu virus.

01:07 So who is most at risk to contract influenza or develop complications? Well, it's who you would expect.

01:14 In fact, I bet you could fill this sheet out before we even walk through it, but let's walk through it just to show you how much you know, I want you to always remember you are smarter than nursing school makes you feel.

01:28 Okay so our young guys, especially young children.

01:31 The little ones and the older adults are at risk.

01:35 No surprise there, right? We know that the greatest risk for dehydration problems, greatest risk for falls, our little guys and our old guys are increased risk to contract influenza.

01:46 People who have chronic illnesses.

01:48 They have diabetes, asthma, COPD, CF, cardiovascular disease, stroke.

01:54 Now as were laying down these risk factors, these are going to follow the FDAs recommendations for the people should get the flu vaccine.

02:02 So I've talked about age.

02:04 We've talked about chronic illness, if the person lives in a long-term care facility, there's lots of people coming and going and it increased risk for exposure, plus if they're living in a long-term care facility, they're not up and able to care for themselves.

02:19 So they've probably got some of those comorbidities going along with that.

02:23 Pregnancy.

02:24 Pregnant women and two weeks postpartum have a higher risk for developing influenza.

02:30 Now if the patient has a weakened immune system that makes sense, right? Have a weakened immune system, there at an increased risk to catch the virus.

02:38 And lastly obesity, someone with a BMI of 40 or greater is at an increased risk to catch influenza and definitely for complications.