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Influenza-like illness-related emergency department visits: Christmas and New Year holiday peaks and relationships with laboratory-confirmed respiratory virus detections, Edmonton, Alberta, 2004-2014

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  • Influenza-like illness-related emergency department visits: Christmas and New Year holiday peaks and relationships with laboratory-confirmed respiratory virus detections, Edmonton, Alberta, 2004-2014

    Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2016 Jul 21. doi: 10.1111/irv.12416. [Epub ahead of print]
    Influenza-like illness-related emergency department visits: Christmas and New Year holiday peaks and relationships with laboratory-confirmed respiratory virus detections, Edmonton, Alberta, 2004-2014.

    Martin LJ1, Im C1, Dong H1, Lee BE2, Talbot J3, Meurer DP4, Mukhi SN5, Drews SJ6,7, Yasui Y1.
    Author information

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND:

    Emergency department (ED) visit volumes can be especially high during the Christmas-New Year holidays, a period occurring during the influenza season in Canada.
    METHODS:

    Using daily data, we examined the relationship between ED visits for the chief complaint "cough" (for Edmonton, Alberta residents) and laboratory detections for influenza A and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (for Edmonton and surrounding areas), lagged 0-5 days ahead, for non-pandemic years (2004-2008 and 2010-2014) using multivariable linear regression adjusting for temporal variables. We defined these cough-related visits as influenza-like illness (ILI)-related ED visits and, for 2004-2014, compared Christmas-New Year holiday (December 24-January 3) and non-holiday volumes during the influenza season (October-April).
    RESULTS:

    Adjusting for temporal variables, ILI-related ED visits were significantly associated with laboratory detections for influenza A and RSV. During non-pandemic years, the highest peak in ILI-related visit volumes always occurred during the holidays. The median number of holiday ILI-related visits/day (42.5) was almost twice the non-holiday median (24) and was even higher in 2012-2013 (80) and 2013-2014 (86). Holiday ILI-related ED visit volumes/100000 population ranged from 56.0 (2010-2011) to 117.4 (2012-2013). In contrast, lower visit volumes occurred during the holidays of pandemic-affected years (2008-2010).
    CONCLUSIONS:

    During non-pandemic years, ILI-related ED visit volumes were associated with variations in detections for influenza A and RSV and always peaked during the Christmas-New Year holidays. This predictability should be used to prepare for, and possibly prevent, this increase in healthcare use; however, interventions beyond disease prevention strategies are likely needed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
    This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


    PMID: 27442911 DOI: 10.1111/irv.12416
    [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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