Articles: pandemics.
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Nov 2011
Clinical characteristics of adult patients with influenza-like illness hospitalized in general ward during Influenza A H1N1 pandemic 2009/2010.
To investigate clinical and laboratory features of patients with Influenza A H1N1 virus infection hospitalized during 2009/2010 pandemic. ⋯ In this study patients infected with Influenza A H1N1 differed from H1N1 negative ILI patients in several clinical and laboratory characteristics. The same was observed also by other investigators. The results of the study suggest some other specific features, such as a higher incidence of headache and higher values of troponin in Influenza A H1N1 infected patients.
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To characterize mass fatality preparedness of the death care sector (ie, funeral industry organizations) and to determine the workforce's ability and willingness to report to duty during a hypothetical high fatality pandemic event. ⋯ Preparedness strategies that address interorganizational, surge capacity, and personal emergency planning are likely to be most efficacious. STATEMENT OF CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Occupational medicine plays an important role in emergency preparedness and response. Funeral industry organizations could benefit from skills and resources of occupational medicine, including training, fit testing, development of plans, and coordination and hosting of planning exercises.
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Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · Oct 2011
Rapid increase in use of antiviral therapy for hospitalized children with influenza during the 2009 H1N1 epidemic.
We used the Pediatric Health Information System to examine annual trends in antiviral prescribing for hospitalized children with influenza before and during the 2009 H1N1 epidemic. During the 2009 H1N1 epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued recommendations advising antiviral therapy for all hospitalized patients with influenza infection. Before the 2009 H1N1 outbreak, antivirals were prescribed for only 28% of hospitalized children with influenza. This increased sharply to 84% during the 2009 H1N1 period, indicating a favorable response by physicians to clinical guidelines.
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Multicenter Study
Timing of oseltamivir administration and outcomes in hospitalized adults with pandemic 2009 influenza A(H1N1) virus infection.
Data on the clinical effectiveness of oseltamivir in patients with pandemic 2009 influenza A(H1N1) (A[H1N1]) virus infection are scarce. We aimed to determine the effect of timing of oseltamivir administration on outcomes in hospitalized adults with A(H1N1). ⋯ Timely oseltamivir administration has a beneficial effect on outcomes in hospitalized adults with A(H1N1), even in those who are admitted beyond 48 h after onset of symptoms.
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Enhanced surveillance of infections due to the pandemic A(H1N1) influenza virus, which included monitoring for antiviral resistance, was carried out in the Netherlands from late April 2009 through late May 2010. More than 1100 instances of infection with the pandemic A(H1N1) influenza virus from 2009 and 2010 [A(H1N1) 2009] distributed across this period were analyzed. Of these, 19 cases of oseltamivir-resistant virus harboring the H275Y mutation in the neuraminidase (NA) were detected. ⋯ This study showed that the main association for the emergence of cases of oseltamivir-resistant A(H1N1) 2009 virus was receiving antiviral therapy and having drug-induced immunosuppression or an hematologic disorder. Except for a single case of a resistant virus not linked to oseltamivir therapy, the absence of detection of resistant variants in community specimens and in specimens from contacts of cases with resistant virus suggested that the spread of resistant A(H1N1) 2009 virus was limited. Containment may have been the cumulative result of impaired NA function, successful isolation of the patients, and prophylactic measures to limit exposure.