title: Trial surveillance of cases with acute respiratory symptoms at IMCJ Hospital.
abstract: We have developed a surveillance system that can detect a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in a hospital as quickly as possible using the "SARS alert" strategy proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Our research examined hospital staff and in-patients during the winter of 2003/2004. We defined patients with a fever of over 38 degrees C and respiratory symptoms as "cases with acute respiratory symptoms." During the study period, 215 such cases (78% in-patients; 22% hospital staff members) were reported. A rapid diagnostic test for influenza was performed on 131 individuals, with 52 having positive results. There were no cases fulfilling the definition of SARS provided by the WHO in their SARS alert. The present surveillance system will be of use in the early detection of a SARS epidemic in a hospital as well as in early detection of similar illnesses accompanied by acute respiratory symptoms, such as influenza.
authors.affiliation: International Medical Center of Japan, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan. akawana@imcj.hosp.go.jp
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawana
authors.forename: Katsuji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Teruya
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hama
authors.forename: Emi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Jun-ichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sekiguchi
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kirikae
authors.forename: Goh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Naka
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Tadatoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuratsuji
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kudo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*