A surge in flu cases is filling up New Hampshire hospitals and causing longer waits for some patients.
“This is probably one of the most challenging and difficult flu seasons we've seen for many, many years,” said Steve Ahnen, president of the New Hampshire Hospital Association. “And again, those rates continue to climb.”
Flu has been on the rise for weeks in New Hampshire. More than one in 10 patients at doctors’ offices, ERs and other health care settings had flu-like symptoms during the week ending Feb. 8, the highest rate in more than a decade.
More than one in 10 patients at doctors’ offices, ERs and other health care settings had flu-like symptoms during the week ending Feb. 8, the highest rate in more than a decade.
Ahnen said that the number of sick patients is straining hospital capacity. As of Wednesday, 91% of hospital beds across the state were occupied, and that doesn’t count patients in emergency departments who are waiting to be admitted to inpatient beds.
“Essentially, what that's saying is hospitals are busy and practically full,” Ahnen said.
The increased volume is lengthening wait times at some ERs. Hospitals including Cheshire Medical Center in Keene and the Elliot in Manchester have informed patients they may have to wait longer than usual for less serious conditions, though people with urgent medical issues – like heart attacks and strokes – are still being seen right away.
The spike in flu comes on top of other challenges that have limited hospital capacity, like difficulty discharging patients to rehab facilities as they recover, said Dr. Robert Rix, an emergency physician and associate medical director at Concord Hospital’s emergency department.
“We have a lot of patients that we have to keep in the emergency department for a prolonged period of time, unfortunately,” he said. “And that can really cause some prolonged wait times for the patients who may not be as sick.”
Rix said the emergency department is continuing to prioritize the sickest patients, and has put two additional medical providers up front to help with screening. He knows long wait times can be frustrating, but said that hasn’t impacted patient safety.
“We're really making sure that people aren't falling through the cracks,” he said. “Our triage nurses are the most experienced nurses that we have and are excellent at identifying patterns of illness, patterns of injury, red flags.”
Ahnen encouraged people to get flu shots if they haven’t already, and take other precautions to reduce the spread of flu. He said people should continue to seek treatment from their primary care provider, urgent care or the emergency department as needed.
“Bring your patience with you when you come to the hospital,” he said. “But again, hospitals are there. They're ready to care.”
