title: Influenza epidemiology in adults admitted to sentinel Australian hospitals in 2014: the Influenza Complications Alert Network (FluCAN).
abstract: The Influenza Complications Alert Network (FluCAN) is a sentinel hospital-based surveillance program that operates at sites in all states and territories in Australia. This report summarises the epidemiology of hospitalisations with laboratory-confirmed influenza during the 2014 influenza season. In this observational study, cases were defined as patients admitted to one of the sentinel hospitals with an acute respiratory illness with influenza confirmed by nucleic acid detection. During the period 3 April to 31 October 2014 (the 2014 influenza season), 1,692 adult patients (>16 years) were admitted with confirmed influenza to one of 15 of 17 FluCAN sentinel hospitals (excluding 2 paediatric hospitals). Of these, 47% were over 65 years of age, 10% were Indigenous Australians, 3.3% were pregnant and 85% had chronic co-morbidities. The majority of cases were due to influenza A. Influenza B was detected in 7% of patients. There were a large number of hospital admissions detected with confirmed influenza in this national observational surveillance system in 2014. These are estimated to represent a national annual burden of around 15,000 admissions and almost 100,000 bed-days nationally.
authors.affiliation: Alfred Health; Monash University.
authors.forename: Allen C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: University of Adelaide, Royal Adelaide Hospital.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.affiliation: Australian National University, The Canberra Hospital.
authors.forename: Sanjaya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Senenayake
authors.affiliation: University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital.
authors.forename: Dominic E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.affiliation: Alice Springs Hospital.
authors.forename: Saliya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hewagama
authors.affiliation: Monash Medical Centre; Monash University.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Korman
authors.affiliation: Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Irving
authors.affiliation: University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital.
authors.forename: Grant
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Waterer
authors.affiliation: University of Tasmania.
authors.forename: Cameron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Geelong.
authors.forename: N Deborah
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.affiliation: University of Newcastle, John Hunter Hospital.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wark
authors.affiliation: Cairns Base Hospital.
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: Princess Alexandra Hospital, University of Queensland.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Upman
authors.affiliation: Mater Hospitals.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bowler
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital at Westmead.
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Macartney
authors.affiliation: Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Western Australia, Telethon Kids Institute.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blyth
authors.affiliation: Alfred Health; Monash University.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kotsimbos
authors.affiliation: ACT Health Directorate.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D055815:Young Adult