title: Invasive group A streptococcal disease and intensive care unit admissions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the clinical epidemiology of invasive group A streptococcal disease (IGASD) and identify predictors of admissions into an intensive care unit (ICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of data.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 204 patients hospitalized throughout the state of Florida, United States, between August 1996 and August 2000 for IGASD.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence odds ratios for ICU admissions were calculated for several demographic and clinical variables. The prevalence of ICU admissions was lower among patients 69 years of age or older compared to younger patients (odds ratio=0.43, 90% confidence interval: 0.23-0.83). The odds ratio associated with the presence of necrotizing fasciitis was 6.98 (90% confidence interval: 3.13-15.58).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this analysis of patients hospitalized for IGASD, the presence of necrotizing fasciitis was the strongest factor associated with admissions into an ICU.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Discipline, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, El Paso, Texas 79902, USA. zmulla@utep.edu
authors.forename: Zuber D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Mulla
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology