Epidemiology and outcomes of hospitalization of influenza in the cancer population in Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the disease and economic burden of hospitalization of influenza among patients with cancer in Taiwan using a complete medical database for Taiwanese patient records from 1999 to 2005.


METHODS
The diagnosis of influenza-related infections was extracted as any ICD-9, the principal diagnosis code for influenza, bronchopneumonia, or pneumonia caused by a non-specific organism and the diagnosis code for cancer. From these two diagnosis codes, we estimated excess cases during the influenza season for each year and stratum.


RESULTS
During the 7-year-study period, a total of 69,411 hospitalizations were identified for their principal diagnosis of influenza. The average lengths of hospital stay (LOS) and artificial ventilation procedures were 10.2, 8.9, 13.2, 5.0 days, and 0.7, 1.5, 3.5, 0.1% among patients with a cancer diagnosis, a chronic disease diagnosis, cancer combined with a chronic disease diagnosis, and the general population, respectively. Patients with cancer had higher rates of hospitalization with influenza-related infection than those without cancer diagnosis (P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Among hospitalizations of influenza, those with a diagnosis of cancer and of chronic disease were reported to have a longer LOS and higher frequency of artificial ventilation procedures compared to those without a secondary diagnosis of cancer or chronic disease. Immunization among patients with cancer and their contacts is recommended to reduce the disease and economic burden in Taiwan.
Tai
Yu
Y
Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1 University Road, Tainan, Taiwan.
Lee
Ta-Chung
TC
Chang
Hsiao-Ling
HL
Chen
Kow-Tong
KT
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D038801:International Classification of Diseases / Q000191:economics; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014611:Vaccination