Patients with flu are very sick and are often so weak they can’t get out of bed unaided.

The flu affects the respiratory tract but can also cause severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Caring for a severely ill patient is something that everyone is capable of doing. The basic principles are to keep the patient clean and dry, properly hydrated and to control their temperature. They need a soft place to lie down and they need to be comforted and told that they will be OK. The most important medical treatment is to prevent dehydration. Dehydration can be fatal.

1. Prevent Dehydration
   The patient should be drinking enough to be urinating fairly frequently.
   Useful drinks: sweet black or green tea, flat lemonade or a make-up of;
   • 4 cups water
   • 3 tablespoons of sugar or honey
   • ¼ tsp salt
   Black or green tea is also helpful for headache, sore throat and cough.
   
   
2. Keep temperature below 40C
   To lower temperature and relieve aches and pain administer a combination of:
• Neurofen (ibuprofen) 2-4 tablets (400-800mg) every 4 hours
  plus
  
• Paracetamol/Panadol (acetaminophen) 2 tablets (500mg) every 6 hours
The combination of these different drug types increases the benefits but not risk of side effects.


3. Use a tepid water sponge bath to also lower temperature
   With a wet sponge or flannel gently wipe patient so the skin is moist. It is important to use tepid, rather than cold water. Evaporation induces cooling.
   
   
4. To ease sore throat gargle hot salty water
   
   
5. Keep a record of the patient’s progress
   This will be very useful when communicating with a doctor.
   At 4 hourly intervals during the day measure vital signs: temperature, pulse rate, breathing rate and blood pressure. Record fluid intake and output.
   
   
6. Secondary Infections
   If patients begin to get better but then deteriorate it is likely they are developing secondary bacterial infections. Antibiotics may be necessary, so call a doctor.
   
   
7. Tamiflu
   To be effective it must be administered within two days of flu symptoms appearing and preferably within the first 6 hours of obvious flu-like symptoms. Follow instructions for dosage.
   

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