Increased complaints of fever in the emergency room can identify influenza epidemics

Z. Shimoni, M. Niven, N. Kama, N. Dusseldorp, P. Froom*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)494-498
Number of pages5
JournalEuropean Journal of Internal Medicine
Volume19
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2008

Keywords

  • Complaints
  • Emergency room
  • Epidemic
  • Influenza

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