TY - JOUR
T1 - Increased complaints of fever in the emergency room can identify influenza epidemics
AU - Shimoni, Z.
AU - Niven, M.
AU - Kama, N.
AU - Dusseldorp, N.
AU - Froom, P.
PY - 2008/11
Y1 - 2008/11
N2 - Background: In developing countries, it may be easier to use the reasons why patients come to the emergency room (ER) instead of sentinel practices to identify influenza epidemics. Methods: We studied the reasons why adult patients present to the ER in order to attempt to predict increased hospital activity as a result of influenza. The daily frequency of presenting symptoms during the 30 days of maximal influenza activity was compared to the other days of the study period (335 days). Results: During the influenza period, more patients presented with fever, syncope or near syncope, cough, asthma attack, and paralysis than on the days outside of this period. On 50% of the days, eight or more patients presented with fever, an 8.36 (95% CI = 4.6-15.19) higher frequency than during the rest of the year. During the subsequent year, days with excess presentations by patients with a principal complaint of fever predicted increased hospital activity due to influenza with no false-positive periods. Conclusions: We conclude that an increase in the number of patients presenting to the ER complaining of fever can identify increased hospital influenza activity.
AB - Background: In developing countries, it may be easier to use the reasons why patients come to the emergency room (ER) instead of sentinel practices to identify influenza epidemics. Methods: We studied the reasons why adult patients present to the ER in order to attempt to predict increased hospital activity as a result of influenza. The daily frequency of presenting symptoms during the 30 days of maximal influenza activity was compared to the other days of the study period (335 days). Results: During the influenza period, more patients presented with fever, syncope or near syncope, cough, asthma attack, and paralysis than on the days outside of this period. On 50% of the days, eight or more patients presented with fever, an 8.36 (95% CI = 4.6-15.19) higher frequency than during the rest of the year. During the subsequent year, days with excess presentations by patients with a principal complaint of fever predicted increased hospital activity due to influenza with no false-positive periods. Conclusions: We conclude that an increase in the number of patients presenting to the ER complaining of fever can identify increased hospital influenza activity.
KW - Complaints
KW - Emergency room
KW - Epidemic
KW - Influenza
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=55649092846&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ejim.2007.04.028
DO - 10.1016/j.ejim.2007.04.028
M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???
AN - SCOPUS:55649092846
SN - 0953-6205
VL - 19
SP - 494
EP - 498
JO - European Journal of Internal Medicine
JF - European Journal of Internal Medicine
IS - 7
ER -