Journal article
FluCAN 2009: Initial results from sentinel surveillance for adult influenza and pneumonia in eight Australian hospitals
PM Kelly, T Kotsimbos, A Reynolds, R Wood-Baker, B Hancox, SGA Brown, M Holmes, G Simpson, S Bowler, G Waterer, LB Irving, C Jenkins, PJ Thompson, AC Cheng
Medical Journal of Australia | Published : 2011
Abstract
Objective: To describe the epidemiology of adult patients hospitalised with influenza or pneumonia during a pandemic season in a sentinel network in Australia. Design, participants and setting: Prospective case series of adult hospital admissions to eight acute care general public hospitals (Influenza Complications Alert Network [Flu CAN] sentinel hospitals) in six Australian jurisdictions, 1 July to 4 December 2009. Main outcome measures: Demographic, clinical and outcome measures in patients admitted with laboratory-confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in the sentinel hospitals compared with data from national notifications and intensive care unit (ICU) surveillance; admissions for inf..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the hard work and professionalism of the FluCAN senior coordinators, Janine Roney and Anne Lickliter at The Alfred, and the local coordinators and data collectors at each hospital: Chris Tuffery (Waikato); Susan Wagg (Royal Hobart); Kirsty Herewane, Louise Milazzo, Jenny McGrath and Mary-Jo Neale (Royal Adelaide); Ellen MacDonald and Jenny Chamberlain (Royal Perth); Carolyn Fennell and Kerrie Wade (Concord); Michelle Thompson and Gerri Shand ler (Royal Melbourne); Megan Martin and Fiona MacPhee (The Mater); Sue Richmond and Ann Carroll (Cairns). Thanks to Ingrid Van Rensberg for assistance with data collation, analysis and secretariat work, and Ivan Hanigan for development of the database. We acknowledge the assistance of David Begg (Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand secretariat) in organising teleconferences and distribution of weekly reports. This project was funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Strategic Grant. Allen Cheng was supported by an NHMRC Health Professional Research Training Fellowship and Paul Kelly by a Career Development Award. The Master of Applied Epidemiology program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.Allen Cheng is an investigator on a surveillance study of the safety of influenza vaccine funded by CSL Ltd. The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand provided support for Paul Kelly to travel to its annual scientific conference to present findings related to this paper. Bob Hancox is a board member of the Asthma Foundation (New Zealand) and has received royalties from McGraw-Hill for a book on lung function. Richard Wood-Baker has conducted research sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Gilead and had travel expenses paid by Boehringer Ingelheim for a presentation at Airways 2008. Louis Irving has received payment for lectures and development of educational presentations from GSK and AstraZeneca, and has had travel expenses paid by AstraZeneca for attendance at a European Respiratory Society conference. Mark Holmes is a Novartis board member, for which he receives payment and reimbursement of travel expenses, and he has received payment for lectures from Medimark International, AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Boehringer Ingelheim.