[Pandemic influenza: impact on health care facilities in Lazio, Italy, and the role of hospitals in pandemic management].
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus H5N1 has so far caused more than 250 human cases. This virus is not transmitted efficaciously from person to person, but the capacity of human-to-human transmission could be acquired in the future. Consequently, the epidemiological and virological evolution of H5N1 is strictly monitored, insofar as the virus is a potential agent of an influenza pandemic. During such a pandemic, health care facilities would have to cope with many cases of severe respiratory illnesses, often requiring intensive care and mechanical pulmonary ventilation. In this article, the impact of the pandemic on health care facilities in Lazio, Italy, is evaluated using a statistical model, Flu-Surge. Moreover, some aspects of hospital preparedness for a pandemic, in particular in emergency departments, are discussed.
Fusco
Franceso Maria
FM
Dipartimento di Epidemiologia e di Ricerca Pre-Clinica, INMI Lazzaro Spallanzani, Roma, Italy.
Pittalis
Silvia
S
Puro
Vincenzo
V
Lauria
Francesco Nicola
FN
Ippolito
Giuseppe
G
D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012984:Software