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Source: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/n...Severe-flu.htm
Updated Friday, August 28, 2009 9:40 am TWN, The China Post news staff
'Severe' flu cases reclassified to 'hospitalized': authorities
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Health authorities yesterday noted the reclassification of ?severe? cases to ?hospitalized? cases to more accurately reflect the nature of patients' afflictions.
Deputy Minister Chang Shan-chwen explained that the old category seemed to connote grave health conditions of the affected when in fact many patients were suffering from mild complications of the disease.
A ?severe? case previously referred to those whose novel flu-related infections evolved into pneumonia, meningitis or myocarditis.
According to Steve Kuo, director-general of the Centers for Disease Control, there were people who opted to stay in intensive care units (ICU) who were not in severe condition.
He explained that several patients were placed in ICUs mainly because hospital management adopted a more prudent approach while in a few other cases, patients stayed in ICUs simply to save money from not hiring caregivers.
As for the coining of another term to encompass those who requires intubation and ventilator support, Chang said that it would be discussed at a later date.
Meanwhile, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday released the latest figures, reporting another five hospitalized cases that brought the total tally up to 52.
The new additions involve a 45-year-old male and nine-year-old boy in northern Taiwan; a six-year-old boy in central Taiwan; an 18-year-old male in the Kaohsiung region; and a 62-year-old woman from the eastern part of the island.
The 52 infections include five lives lost and 12 people who remain under medical care, said the CECC.
Kuo pointed out that previous A(H1N1) mortality estimates hovered around 0.2 to 0.4, but he remained skeptical of the statistic.
He said residents could do the math themselves given last week's data of 10,000 to 12,000 infections and five accumulated deaths since initial occurrence of the disease.
Updated Friday, August 28, 2009 9:40 am TWN, The China Post news staff
'Severe' flu cases reclassified to 'hospitalized': authorities
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Health authorities yesterday noted the reclassification of ?severe? cases to ?hospitalized? cases to more accurately reflect the nature of patients' afflictions.
Deputy Minister Chang Shan-chwen explained that the old category seemed to connote grave health conditions of the affected when in fact many patients were suffering from mild complications of the disease.
A ?severe? case previously referred to those whose novel flu-related infections evolved into pneumonia, meningitis or myocarditis.
According to Steve Kuo, director-general of the Centers for Disease Control, there were people who opted to stay in intensive care units (ICU) who were not in severe condition.
He explained that several patients were placed in ICUs mainly because hospital management adopted a more prudent approach while in a few other cases, patients stayed in ICUs simply to save money from not hiring caregivers.
As for the coining of another term to encompass those who requires intubation and ventilator support, Chang said that it would be discussed at a later date.
Meanwhile, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday released the latest figures, reporting another five hospitalized cases that brought the total tally up to 52.
The new additions involve a 45-year-old male and nine-year-old boy in northern Taiwan; a six-year-old boy in central Taiwan; an 18-year-old male in the Kaohsiung region; and a 62-year-old woman from the eastern part of the island.
The 52 infections include five lives lost and 12 people who remain under medical care, said the CECC.
Kuo pointed out that previous A(H1N1) mortality estimates hovered around 0.2 to 0.4, but he remained skeptical of the statistic.
He said residents could do the math themselves given last week's data of 10,000 to 12,000 infections and five accumulated deaths since initial occurrence of the disease.