Articles: pandemics.
-
Disaster Med Public Health Prep · Jun 2013
Information technology systems for critical care triage and medical response during an influenza pandemic: a review of current systems.
To assess local, state, federal, and global pandemic influenza preparedness by identifying pandemic plans at the local, state, federal, and global levels, and to identify any information technology (IT) systems in these plans to support critical care triage during an influenza pandemic in the Canadian province of Ontario. ⋯ Although several pandemic plans have been drafted, the majority are high-level general documents that do not describe IT systems. The plans that discuss IT systems focus strongly on surveillance, which fails to recognize the needs of a health care system responding to an influenza pandemic. The best examples of the types of IT systems to guide decision making during a pandemic were found in the Kansas and the Czech Republic pandemic plans, because these systems were designed to collect both patient and surveillance data. Although Ontario has yet to develop such an IT system, several IT systems are in place that could be leveraged to support critical care triage and medical response during an influenza pandemic.
-
Here we report the case of a 9-year-old boy with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by novel H1N1 swine-origin influenza virus A. A diagnosis of ARDS caused by a novel influenza A (H1N1) virus was made on the basis of chest X-ray and computed tomography together with low oxygenation index (OI) and the detection of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus from tracheal secretion samples. Oseltamivir phosphate and prone positioning were effective in the treatment of ARDS in this case. These findings suggest that anti-viral drugs and prone positioning can play an important role in the improvement of ARDS caused by novel H1N1 swine-origin influenza virus A.
-
Comparative Study
Influenza pandemic 2009/A/H1N1 management policies in primary care: a comparative analysis of three countries.
During the influenza pandemic 2009/A/H1N1, the main burden of managing patients fell on primary care physicians (PCP). This provided an excellent opportunity to investigate the implications of pandemic policies for the PCP role. ⋯ Health authorities need to engage with representatives of PCP to evaluate policies for pandemic planning and management. Adequate support and protection for PCP during different stages of pandemic management should be provided. What is known about the topic? During the influenza pandemic 2009/A/H1N1, the main burden of diagnosing and managing the patients fell on PCP. The prominent role of PCP in the 2009/A/H1N1 pandemic presents an excellent opportunity to investigate implications of pandemic policies for primary care and to tackle the possible problems that these policies may impose on the ability of PCP to effectively participate in the public health response. What does this paper add? This paper examines policies that affected the roles of PCP in managing the influenza pandemic 2009/A/H1N1 in three countries: Australia, Israel and England. Although general evaluations of the pandemic response in different countries have previously been reported, this is the first study that focuses on policies for pandemic management at the primary care level. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners (PCP and primary care workers in general) would benefit if pandemic preparedness plans were constructed to provide an adequate system of support and protection to primary care workers during different stages of pandemic management. For policy makers, this analysis may help to overhaul the strategies for primary care engagement in the pandemic response.
-
J Trauma Acute Care Surg · Jun 2013
Pandemic flu and the sudden demand for ECMO resources: a mature trauma program can provide surge capacity in acute critical care crises.
Patients with severe H1N1 pneumonia created a sudden demand for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) capacity. In a single referral center, the established procedures, protocols, and staff of the Level I trauma service were adapted to help manage this nontrauma critical care crisis. ⋯ Therapeutic/epidemiologic study, level V.
-
Microbes and infection · Jun 2013
EditorialBirds of ill omen--is H7N9 the harbinger of the next pandemic?
In February 2013, a novel avian virus appeared in Humans in China and caused several fatalities since. The rapidity and efficiency of the organizations in charge led to the quick identification of H7N9 and the triggering of preventive measures. However, the sequencing of the viral genome holds good and bad news and it is not clear yet if we face an emerging pandemic.