Flu-like illness may have come from your child's well-doctor visit

Bringing in your child to a well-doctor for an annual check-up and vaccination could increase you and your child's risk of catching a flu-like illness within two weeks of that visit, according to a new study published in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

Based on data determining the number of outpatient influenza cases, this risk could imply more than 700,000 avoidable flu-like occurrences and $492 million in direct and indirect costs.

Well-child visits are still a necessity, says Phil Polgreen, the study's lead author, but precautions can be taken.

"Well child visits are critically important. However, our results demonstrate that healthcare professionals should devote more attention to reducing the risk of spreading infections in waiting rooms and clinics," he said in a statement.

"Infection control guidelines currently exist. To increase patient safety in outpatient settings, more attention should be paid to these guidelines by healthcare professionals, patients, and their families."

Using data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 1996-2008, the University of Iowa's researchers looked at the health care trends of 84,595 families. These trends were analyzed based off of demographic, office-based, emergency room and outpatient case records. To get accurate information, the study controlled for factors like the presence of other children, insurance and demographics. The results showed that the probability of contracting a flu-like illness increased by 3.2 percent in children under 6 years old or their families within two weeks of their visit.

Based on these findings, Polgreen emphasizes the importance of different infection prevention and control methods in these medical settings.

"Even with interventions, such as the restricted use of communal toys or separate sick and well-child waiting areas, if hand-hygiene compliance is poor, and potentially infectious patients are not wearing masks, preventable infections will continue to occur," he said.