OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients hospitalized with pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 infection in Queensland, Australia between 25 May and 3 October 2009 and to examine the relationship between timing of antiviral treatment and severity of illness. METHOD: Using data from the Queensland Health EpiLog information system, descriptive analysis and logistic regression modelling were used to describe and model factors which influence patient outcomes (death, admission to intensive care unit and/or special care unit). Data on patients admitted to hospital in Queensland with confirmed pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 infection were included in this analysis. RESULTS: 1236 patients with pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 infection were admitted to hospitals in Queensland during the study period. Of the total group: 15% were admitted to an intensive care unit or special care unit; 3% died; 34% were under the age of 18 years and 8% were 65 years of age or older; and 55% had at least one underlying medical condition. Among the 842 patients for whom data were available regarding the use of antiviral drugs, antiviral treatment was initiated in 737 (87.5%) patients, treatment commenced at a median of one day (range 1-33 days) after onset of illness. Admission to an intensive care unit or special care unit (ICU/SCU) or death was significantly associated with increased age, lack of timeliness of antiviral treatment, chronic renal disease and morbid obesity. DISCUSSION: Early antiviral treatment was significantly associated with lower likelihood of ICU/SCU admission or death. Early antiviral treatment for influenza cases may therefore have important public health implications.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients hospitalized with pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 infection in Queensland, Australia between 25 May and 3 October 2009 and to examine the relationship between timing of antiviral treatment and severity of illness. METHOD: Using data from the Queensland Health EpiLog information system, descriptive analysis and logistic regression modelling were used to describe and model factors which influence patient outcomes (death, admission to intensive care unit and/or special care unit). Data on patients admitted to hospital in Queensland with confirmed pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 infection were included in this analysis. RESULTS: 1236 patients with pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 infection were admitted to hospitals in Queensland during the study period. Of the total group: 15% were admitted to an intensive care unit or special care unit; 3% died; 34% were under the age of 18 years and 8% were 65 years of age or older; and 55% had at least one underlying medical condition. Among the 842 patients for whom data were available regarding the use of antiviral drugs, antiviral treatment was initiated in 737 (87.5%) patients, treatment commenced at a median of one day (range 1-33 days) after onset of illness. Admission to an intensive care unit or special care unit (ICU/SCU) or death was significantly associated with increased age, lack of timeliness of antiviral treatment, chronic renal disease and morbid obesity. DISCUSSION: Early antiviral treatment was significantly associated with lower likelihood of ICU/SCU admission or death. Early antiviral treatment for influenza cases may therefore have important public health implications.
Authors: M G Baker; N Wilson; Q S Huang; S Paine; L Lopez; D Bandaranayake; M Tobias; K Mason; G F Mackereth; M Jacobs; C Thornley; S Roberts; C McArthur Journal: Euro Surveill Date: 2009-08-27
Authors: Ryan Zarychanski; Tammy L Stuart; Anand Kumar; Steve Doucette; Lawrence Elliott; Joel Kettner; Frank Plummer Journal: CMAJ Date: 2010-01-21 Impact factor: 8.262
Authors: Denise J Jamieson; Margaret A Honein; Sonja A Rasmussen; Jennifer L Williams; David L Swerdlow; Matthew S Biggerstaff; Stephen Lindstrom; Janice K Louie; Cara M Christ; Susan R Bohm; Vincent P Fonseca; Kathleen A Ritger; Daniel J Kuhles; Paula Eggers; Hollianne Bruce; Heidi A Davidson; Emily Lutterloh; Meghan L Harris; Colleen Burke; Noelle Cocoros; Lyn Finelli; Kitty F MacFarlane; Bo Shu; Sonja J Olsen Journal: Lancet Date: 2009-07-28 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Anand Kumar; Ryan Zarychanski; Ruxandra Pinto; Deborah J Cook; John Marshall; Jacques Lacroix; Tom Stelfox; Sean Bagshaw; Karen Choong; Francois Lamontagne; Alexis F Turgeon; Stephen Lapinsky; Stéphane P Ahern; Orla Smith; Faisal Siddiqui; Philippe Jouvet; Kosar Khwaja; Lauralyn McIntyre; Kusum Menon; Jamie Hutchison; David Hornstein; Ari Joffe; Francois Lauzier; Jeffrey Singh; Tim Karachi; Kim Wiebe; Kendiss Olafson; Clare Ramsey; Sat Sharma; Peter Dodek; Maureen Meade; Richard Hall; Robert A Fowler Journal: JAMA Date: 2009-10-12 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Steven A R Webb; Ville Pettilä; Ian Seppelt; Rinaldo Bellomo; Michael Bailey; David J Cooper; Michelle Cretikos; Andrew R Davies; Simon Finfer; Peter W J Harrigan; Graeme K Hart; Belinda Howe; Jonathan R Iredell; Colin McArthur; Imogen Mitchell; Siouxzy Morrison; Alistair D Nichol; David L Paterson; Sandra Peake; Brent Richards; Dianne Stephens; Andrew Turner; Michael Yung Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2009-10-08 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Seema Jain; Laurie Kamimoto; Anna M Bramley; Ann M Schmitz; Stephen R Benoit; Janice Louie; David E Sugerman; Jean K Druckenmiller; Kathleen A Ritger; Rashmi Chugh; Supriya Jasuja; Meredith Deutscher; Sanny Chen; John D Walker; Jeffrey S Duchin; Susan Lett; Susan Soliva; Eden V Wells; David Swerdlow; Timothy M Uyeki; Anthony E Fiore; Sonja J Olsen; Alicia M Fry; Carolyn B Bridges; Lyn Finelli Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2009-10-08 Impact factor: 91.245