PARTICIPA

PARTICIPA

lunes, 30 de diciembre de 2019

lunes, 16 de diciembre de 2019

La formacion en ecografia de los medicos de familia canadienses.



Canadian national survey of family medicine residents on point-of-care ultrasound training

Figure 1.

METHODS

A bilingual (English and French) online survey of Canadian family medicine residents was administered between March and June 2017. The survey was developed by a group of 8 POCUS experts, including ultrasound academic leads with extensive teaching experience and publications related to POCUS, as well as input from family medicine residents and a medical student. Our group included physicians from McGill University in Montreal, Que; the University of Ottawa in Ontario; the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg; Memorial University of Newfoundland in St John’s; the University of Toronto in Ontario; and Western University in London, Ont. This survey was designed to ask similar questions to our survey of family medicine program directors to allow for direct comparison.21 Both of these surveys also had strong influence from previous surveys conducted by Steinmetz et al and Hall et al, which were each independently validated, and so we did not repeat external validation and pilot testing of this survey.18,25 The questions were reviewed internally by our group of POCUS experts and altered multiple times to maximize their clarity and avoid any biased language. The survey and study design were approved by the provincial Health Research Ethics Board of Memorial University. The final survey consisted of 3 sections: current training status, perceived relevance of POCUS to primary care, and demographic characteristics. There are 23 items in the survey, including multiple-choice questions with single or multiple answers, rating-scale questions, and Likert-type scales.
All family medicine residents of the 17 Canadian family medicine residency programs were included in the study. Enhanced skills residents were excluded from the study, as many of these programs, such as emergency medicine, already have an integrated POCUS curriculum.
The target population was estimated to be 2645 first- and second-year family medicine residents nationwide based on Canadian Resident Matching Service data and verified by respective site administrators. Survey participants were entered into a random draw for gift cards of $50.
The first survey invitation was sent out via e-mail on March 15, 2017, with reminder e-mails sent 1 and 2 months after the original invitation. The survey was closed on June 30, 2017, at midnight to avoid changes in our survey population associated with the new cohort of residents who started on July 1. The invitation contained a short cover letter, an abstract describing the objectives of the study, and a link to the online consent form and survey. The survey link was sent to the study population through individual e-mail using a private e-mailing list sent by respective resident site coordinators and program administrators; individual e-mail using a private e-mailing list sent by respective resident representatives of the College of Family Physicians of Canada Section of Residents; a survey link included in the e-newsletter of the residency program; a survey link posted on Facebook groups of the residency program; and a private e-mailing list of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada. To ensure multiple surveys were not completed by the same respondent, only 1 survey submission was accepted from a single IP (Internet protocol) address.
The survey was distributed by SurveyMonkey. Raw data were exported from SurveyMonkey into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. A single data abstractor analyzed the survey responses and reported them as percentages in tabular format. Responses were kept anonymous and all data were reported in aggregate.

DISCUSSION

Our survey results demonstrate that most residents express a strong interest in POCUS training and support the use of POCUS in primary care practice. However, a formal POCUS curriculum has not yet been incorporated into most Canadian family medicine residency programs. This reiterates the results of our recent study of family medicine program directors, who also expressed an interest in establishing a POCUS curriculum. Despite this desire for training, currently only 3 family medicine residency programs in Canada offer an established ultrasound curriculum.21
Implementing POCUS training in family medicine residency programs has several potential barriers, including limited access to ultrasound machines and qualified instructors.21 Aside from a mandatory POCUS curriculum in residency programs, our results suggest a POCUS elective or funding to take external POCUS training are potential solutions. However, this can pose a substantial financial burden to residents, as these electives and courses can cost between $1000 and $5000. Most residents (91.6%) believed funding should come from residency programs to take these courses if formal ultrasound training is unavailable. Increasingly, residency training programs are facing budgetary constraints. Developing in-house training programs or local POCUS electives would help mitigate these costs.
Most residents supported the inclusion of POCUS in primary care practice and identified its main benefits as being a useful adjunct to the physical examination and a rapid diagnostic tool, as well as having the potential to reduce health care spending. Most residents would also consider using POCUS regularly in their clinical practice if both the appropriate training and access to an ultrasound machine were provided. These views are similar to those in the previous study of family medicine program directors, who also expressed favourable views of POCUS in primary care.21 Although most evidence supporting POCUS use comes from emergency medicine, the movement toward the inclusion of ultrasound in family medicine is supported by the growing body of literature highlighting that POCUS use in primary care is accurate, is safe, and has numerous applications for family practice.2634
In conjunction with the results from our previous survey, both residents and program directors believe ultrasound is useful in clinical practice for AAA screening, obstetric indications, and procedural guidance.21 The use of ultrasound for these applications in primary care is well supported by evidence. Research has demonstrated long-term mortality benefits associated with ultrasound screening of asymptomatic patients for AAA. A recent Canadian prospective study showed that office-based scans for AAA screening had a high degree of correlation with hospital-based scans.13 The use of ultrasound in primary care obstetrics is well documented, and the American Academy of Family Physicians endorsed obstetric ultrasound as a core skill for maternity care.35 A plethora of literature supports the use of ultrasound by clinicians to guide a variety of procedures commonly performed in primary care such as drainage of subcutaneous abscesses, joint aspiration, intra-articular injection, confirmation of intrauterine device placement, and paracentesis.15,3639
Contrary to the results of the survey of program directors, residents also considered the FAST examination and limited echocardiography as useful applications. Although the FAST examination is well established in the context of abdominal trauma to identify free fluid, it can also be used in the primary care clinic to identify ascites.9 Residents might consider it to be a useful POCUS application owing to their familiarity with its use, as it is often the first application taught as an introduction to bedside ultrasound. Evidence supporting the use of limited echocardiography in primary practice is currently lacking. A study from Norway has demonstrated that after undergoing an 8-hour training program, general practitioners were able to assess left ventricular function using pocket-sized ultrasound with a sensitivity and specificity of 78% and 83%, respectively.29 This skill could be useful for family physicians to help determine the cause of patients presenting with dyspnea including heart failure and pleural effusions.
Many primary care physicians work in a variety of practice settings, including in community emergency departments, in palliative care settings, and as hospitalists. This is also reflected in the residents’ responses (Table 1). The use of POCUS is helpful in the many different practice settings in which family physicians work.

Limitations

A limitation of this study was the overall response rate of only 32.3% of Canadian family medicine residents. Previous research on large population survey studies reported an average response rate of 30% to e-mail surveys and our results are comparable.40,41 Similarly, the 2007 National Physician Survey of Canadian physicians and residents achieved an e-mail response rate of 29.9%.42 In a meta-analysis of Web- and Internet-based surveys, Cook et al suggested that response representativeness is more important than response rate.43 Representativeness refers to how well the sample drawn for the questionnaire reflects the greater population attributes. Overall, responses were fairly evenly distributed across rural, urban or community, and academic teaching units, with 29.6%, 38.2%, and 32.2% response rates, respectively. Another limitation to our survey study is the lack of flexibility in response format. In our study of this large population, multiple-choice responses, binary responses, and Likert scales better quantify the predominant opinions of the surveyed population, but in doing so, we lose certain nuances in the opinions expressed. When possible, we allowed for an “other (please specify)” option for individual responses. However, a qualitative study on the views of family medicine residents and physicians would help to further our understanding of the role of POCUS in primary care.
Finally, it is important to note that most of our resident respondents do not have any formal training in POCUS. Only 33.2% agreed or strongly agreed that they were familiar with the literature on POCUS use. This is higher than family medicine program directors and academic leads, of whom only 21% either agreed or strongly agreed.21 Thus, most family medicine residents and program directors are not entirely familiar with the current literature available on POCUS use, and so opinions on POCUS being used to alter clinical decision making or having no negative effect on patient care might not be evidence based. A future goal will be educating both residents and program directors on the emerging evidence for POCUS use in family medicine.

Conclusion

This is the largest survey identifying the perceived need of family medicine residents for POCUS training. There is overwhelming support for and interest in POCUS by family medicine residents across Canada. Despite this, only 18.4% of residents currently receive formal POCUS training through their residency programs. Consistent with our recent family medicine program directors’ survey on POCUS, most believe training should be incorporated into their residency curricula. Most residents believe that POCUS would positively affect primary care and would consider using ultrasound regularly in their clinical practice if they had the proper training.


domingo, 15 de diciembre de 2019

Paliativos pediatria, importancia de los horarios de trabajo enhospital sobre resultados en salud.

The clinical practice guideline palliative care for children and other strategies to enhance shared decision-making in pediatric palliative care; pediatricians’ critical reflections


Association of the Work Schedules of Hospitalists With Patient Outcomes of Hospitalization


viernes, 13 de diciembre de 2019

Changes in the Place of Death in the United States



TO THE EDITOR:



Where people die is an important determinant of patient and caregiver experience. To assess changes in place of death, we analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics database for natural deaths in the United States from 2003 through 2017. Cause of death was defined as the medical condition that had started the events that led directly to death, as recorded by the physician on the death certificate.1 Deaths from external causes were excluded. Between 2003 and 2017, there were nearly 35.2 million natural deaths (Figure 1). Most were attributed to cardiovascular disease (29.3%), followed by cancer (24.5%), respiratory disease (10.5%), dementia (7.9%), and stroke (5.9%).
In 2003, a total of 905,874 deaths occurred in hospitals (39.7%), which decreased to 764,424 (29.8%) in 2017, whereas the number of deaths at nursing facilities decreased from 538,817 (23.6%) to 534,714 (20.8%). The number of deaths at home increased from 543,874 (23.8%) in 2003 to 788,757 (30.7%) in 2017, whereas the number of deaths at hospice facilities increased from 5395 (0.2%) to 212,652 (8.3%). These trends were seen across all disease groups.
Younger patients, female patients, and racial and ethnic minorities had lower odds of death at home than did older patients, male patients, and white patients. Patients with cancer had the greatest odds of death at home and death at a hospice facility and the lowest odds of death at a nursing facility relative to other conditions. Patients with dementia had the greatest odds of death at a nursing facility, and patients with respiratory disease had the greatest odds of death at a hospital. Patients with stroke had the lowest odds of death at home, and patients with cardiovascular disease had the lowest odds of death at a hospice facility relative to other conditions.
Home has surpassed the hospital as the most common place of death in the United States for the first time since the early 20th century.2 Hospital deaths remained common in 2017, although the percentage in the United States was lower than in Canada (59.9%)3 and England (46.0%).4 Death at home is preferred by most people, but for many this might not be possible or preferable.5 Although we could not determine from the data whether hospice services were provided at home or at nursing facilities or whether some assisted-living facilities were categorized as home, data derived from death certificates provide the broadest assessment of place of death despite their limitations. The trends noted here represent progress; however, more information about the experience of patients dying at home is needed to develop policies and services that ensure high-quality end-of-life care. These findings should lead to prioritizing improvements in access to high-quality home care for older Americans with serious illnesses.


Sarah H. Cross, M.S.W., M.P.H.
Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy, Durham, NC
Haider J. Warraich, M.D.
Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA
Disclosure forms provided by the authors are available with the full text of this letter at NEJM.org.

Supplementary Material

jueves, 7 de noviembre de 2019

Preevid: Cuándo iniciar el tratamiento del hipotiroidismo subclínico diagnosticado en el embarazo y con qué dosis de levotiroxina. / Subclinical hypothyroidism diagnosed in pregnancy: when and how to initiate treatment.

Preevid: Cuándo iniciar el tratamiento del hipotiroidismo subclínico diagnosticado en el embarazo y con qué dosis de levotiroxina. / Subclinical hypothyroidism diagnosed in pregnancy: when and how to initiate treatment.

Cuándo iniciar el tratamiento del hipotiroidismo subclínico diagnosticado en el embarazo y con qué dosis de levotiroxina. La pregunta original del usuario era "¿A partir de qué niveles de TSH tenemos que tratar a una gestante, no diagnosticada de hipotiroidismo previamente? ¿Con qué dosis de levotiroxina hay que iniciar el tratamiento?" Subclinical hypothyroidism diagnosed in pregnancy: when and how to initiate treatment.

Una pregunta similar se contestó en 2017 (ver abajo). Se ha actualizado la búsqueda y tras la revisión realizada podemos resumir que  para iniciar el  tratamiento del hipotiroidismo subclínico en el embarazo habría que tener en cuenta las cifras de TSH y la presencia de anti-TPO, sin que exista un total consenso en los diferentes documentos seleccionados. De forma general, el tratamiento podría iniciarse con 1,2 mcg/Kg/día de levotiroxina.

El sumario de evidencia (SE) de Dynamed sobre la enfermedad tiroidea en el embarazo(1) recoge las recomendaciones sobre el manejo del hipotiroidismo subclínico de diferentes sociedades científicas:

  • "American Thyroid Association"* (2017)(2): basa las recomendaciones en la presencia de anti-TPO:
    • TSH por encima del rango específico para el embarazo y anti-TPO positivos: tratar con levotiroxina  (recomendación fuerte, evidencia de calidad moderada);
    • TSH > 10 mU/L y anti-TPO negativos: tratar con levotiroxina (recomendación fuerte, evidencia de calidad baja);
    • TSH entre 2,5 mU/L y el límite superior para el embarazo con anti-TPO positivos: considerar levotiroxina (recomendación débil, evidencia de calidad moderada);
    • TSH entre el límite superior específico en el embarazo y 10mU/L con anti-TPO negativos: considerar levotiroxina (recomendación débil, evidencia de baja calidad);
    • TSH normal  (o menor de 4 mU/L si los valores de referencia del embarazo no están disponibles) con anti-TPO negativos: no dar levotiroxina (recomendación fuerte, evidencia de alta calidad).
  • "American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology" (2015)(3): no hace recomendaciones específicas para el tratamiento del hipotiroidismo subclínico de la mujer embarazada.
  • "Endocrine Society" (2012)(4) -extraemos la recomendaciones directamente de la guía-:
    • se recomienda el tratamiento para mujeres con anti-TPO positivos: recomendación grado B (evidencia suficiente) para resultados obstétricos y recomendación grado I (evidencia insuficiente para hacer la recomendación) para resultados neurológicos;
    • se recomienda el tratamiento para mujeres con anti-TPO negativos: recomendación grado C (recomendación basada en el criterio del médico y las preferencias del paciente) para resultados obstétricos y recomendación grado I (evidencia insuficiente para hacer la recomendación) para resultados neurológicos.
  • "European Thyroid Association" (2014)(5): recomienda iniciar el tratamiento con 1,2 μg/Kg/día (recomendación fuerte)*. Comprobamos que, aunque esta guía no marca ninguna cifra de TSH ni la presencia de anti-TPO para el inicio del tratamiento, indica que  las pacientes recién diagnosticadas de hipotiroidismo subclínico deberían recibir tratamiento con levotiroxina (recomendación fuerte, evidencia moderada)* para normalizar los valores de TSH en suero materno dentro del rango de referencia de embarazo específico del trimestre.

Los autores del SE de UpToDate sobre el hipotiroidismo en el embarazo(6) proponen un algoritmo de tratamiento basado en las directrices de las GPC del  "American Thyroid Association" (2) y la "Endocrine Society"(4):

  • TSH con cifras entre 2,5 mU/L y el límite inferior de normalidad específico del trimestre serían pacientes eutiroideas y no precisarían tratamiento.
  • TSH  2,6-4 mU/L (4 mU/L o el límite superior de normalidad específico del trimestre si está disponible):
    • No tratar si anti-TPO negativos; habría que seguir monitorizando a las mujeres de alto riesgo;
    • En caso de anti-TPO positivos algunos expertos proponen tratamiento con levotiroxina (50 μg/día); en caso de que se decida no iniciar tratamiento se medirá la TSH cada 4 semanas durante el primer trimestre y luego una vez en el segundo y tercer trimestres iniciando levotiroxina cuando la TSH aumente por encima de 4  mU/L.
  • TSH >4 mU/L  o del límite superior de normalidad específico del trimestre si está disponible: 
    • si la T4 libre está elevada se inicia tratamiento a dosis plenas (1,6 μg/Kg/día);
    • si la T4 libre no está elevada (hipotiroidismo subclínico) se iniciaría levotiroxina a dosis intermedias (1 μg/día).

Y el SE de BMJ Best Practice sobre el hipotiroidismo primario(7) explica que en la mujer embarazada se recomienda el tratamiento con levotiroxina del hipotiroidismo subclínico cuando la TSH es mayor del rango de referencia específico para el embarazo y los anti-TPO son positivos. También se recomienda el tratamiento en caso de anti-TPO negativos si TSH >10 mU/L.

En nuestro medio, el documento de consenso de la Sociedad Andaluza de Endocrinología y Nutrición sobre el manejo de la disfunción tiroidea en la gestación (2015)(8) considera hipotiroidismo subclínico en el embarazo la presencia de T4 normal con TSH <10 y >P 97,5 de los valores de referencia propios.

  • Cuando se ha detectado el hipotiroidismo subclínico durante el embarazo recomienda iniciar tratamiento con levotiroxina si anti-TPO positivos; en caso de anti-TPO negativos sugieren iniciar tratamiento ante TSH >4 μUI/ml; también plantean iniciar tratamiento si TSH > P97,5 independientemente de los niveles de anti-TPO.
  • En cuanto a las dosis de inicio recomiendan:  TSH > P97,5 y < 5 μU/ml (o en su defecto 2,5-5): 25-50 μg;  TSH 5-8 μU/ml: 50-75 μg; TSH > 8 μU/ml: 75-100 μg. Como alternativa sugieren iniciar a dosis media de 1,2 μg/kg. Y considerar un inicio progresivo en caso de que el tratamiento se vaya a iniciar a dosis altas (≥ 100 μg/día).

Por último, la actualización de 2018 del Programa de Actividades Preventivas y de Promoción de la Salud(9), explica que existe controversia en cuanto al abordaje del hipotiroidismo subclínico en el embarazo (TSH > percentil 97,5 para valores de referencia propios y < 10 con T4 libre normal) e indica que las pruebas de función tiroidea se deben interpretar con la utilización de rangos de TSH y T4 trimestre-específicos.

*Consultar niveles de evidencia y grados de recomendación en los documentos.



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Association between gifts from pharmaceutical companies to French general practitioners and their drug prescribing patterns in 2016: retrospective study using the French Transparency in Healthcare and National Health Data System databases | The BMJ

https://www.bmj.com/content/367/bmj.l6015


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PCR EN AP ANTIBIOTICOS Y DERIVACIONES

En un articulo reciente se realiza un metaanálisis sobre el efecto que puede tener el uso en cabecera "Point in care" de estas técnicas para disminuir consumo de antibioticos, derivaciones y complicaciones en adultos y en niños.

sábado, 26 de octubre de 2019

uso de la PCR en consulta ante exacerbación de EPOC

Hace mucho tiempo en un update de nuestra especialidad( La medicina Familiar y Comunitaria) tuve la suerte de escuchar los argumentos y utilidades de esta técnica y de otras en cabecera de paciente de la boca de DR Carles LLor. A mi, me sedujo sus planteamientos y durante todo un lustro he intentado seguir la evolución de este tema.
una revision la podemos encontrar en el enlace.
Pues bien acaba de salir una utilidad para discernir sobre el uso ono de antibioticos en el epoc y un editorial del NEW England sobre el tema
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JDURByyTvYjb_4Cax9ekF_0em4Dkqemg
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yojJ7tiiEGFSG5h3aUbt1FWrYMdBdlx7

Quo vadis. Medicina de Familia.congreso nacional de estudiantes.

El pasado jueves tuve la suerte de intervenir en un simposio sobre la medicina familiar ,en el congreso nacional de estudiantes de medicina, donde titule a mi presentación Medicina Familia QuoVadis.

En ella me centre en que ante la presión asistencial y el burning, dos de los argumentos que incidí fue en el Not to do, hasta el 30% de las  medicas no aportan valor, y eliminar  absolutamente las tareas administrativas absurdas.



Curiosamente desayunaba el sabado y ya dos compañeros me avisaban del articulo en el pais de VIcente Baos  ( blog amigo El supositorio) donde remarcaba lo absurdo de muchos tramites administrativos.
https://elpais.com/sociedad/2019/10/24/actualidad/1571913719_334103.html

En el VIcente Baos explica justificantes curiosos, yo en mi presentación aporte algunos casos muy significativos como Doctor justifiqueme que estoy vivo que me los piden en el banco, y por favor justifiqueme que puedo bucear a tres atmosfera,...sin comentarios.

Remarque en mi exposicion la reciente aparicion en el blog de Rafa Bravo de una intervencion desburocratizadora en este sentido de la JUnta Andalucia,

https://rafabravo.blog/2019/09/27/el-autentico-no-hacer-en-actividades-burocraticas/

y como en nuestra consellería se emitió hace muchos más años una instrucción similar que yo he utilizado en numerosas ocasiones(data del 2008) y que en ocasiones compañeros de mi misma comunidad desconocian. En esta instrucción se recogen practicamente todos los not to do administrativos de la junta andaluza y desde luego en mi humilde opinión aportó bastante a cambiar el panorama.

Es aun mas curioso que un gran numero de comunidades no dispongan alguna medida en este sentido. Gran percepción, a mi juicio muy positiva, de los estudiantes de medicina por nuestra especialidad.

El Supositorio: Disfrutar de la consulta día a día (a pesar de tod...

El Supositorio: Disfrutar de la consulta día a día (a pesar de tod...

jueves, 3 de octubre de 2019

Colorectal cancer screening with faecal immunochemical testing, sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy: a clinical practice guideline | The BMJ

https://www.bmj.com/content/367/bmj.l5515


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Apuntes sobre la seguridad de las sulfonilureas | El rincón de Sísifo

Chuleta indispensable desde Rincon de Sisifo.
https://elrincondesisifo.org/2017/02/03/apuntes-sobre-la-seguridad-de-las-sulfonilureas/


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Cardiovascular Corner: Prescription Omega-3s, Stroke Rehab, and Statins After Age 75 | Cardiology | JAMA | JAMA Network

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2751407


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Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of cobalamin and folate disorders - Devalia - 2014 - British Journal of Haematology - Wiley Online Library

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjh.12959


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sábado, 21 de septiembre de 2019

E-SCOPE: A Strategic Approach to Identify and Accelerate Imp... : Medical Care

Muy interesante desde tweet Ernesto Barrera. Acortar tiempo desde evidencia a implementación
https://journals.lww.com/lww-medicalcare/Pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2019&issue=10001&article=00009&type=Fulltext


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Tweet de Lorenzo Fácila en Twitter

Lorenzo Fácila (@mi_cardiologo)

Descarga la aplicación de Twitter


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Asteriscología – ATensión Primaria

Este post del blog atension primaria recupera gran relevancia.
https://atensionprimaria.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/asteriscologia/


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Real-Time Digital Surveillance of Vaping-Induced Pulmonary Disease | NEJM

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1912818


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martes, 3 de septiembre de 2019

Gripe en Australia, al final los efectos fueron menores a los esperados.

https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-surveil-ozflu-flucurr.htm

Key Messages

  • Activity – Currently, overall influenza and influenza-like illness (ILI) activity is lower than average for this time of year compared to previous years, and current activity is consistent with activity in previous years following a peak. At the national level, notifications of laboratory-confirmed influenza continued to decrease in the past fortnight following an apparent peak in early July.
  • Severity – Clinical severity for the season to date, as measured through the proportion of patients admitted directly to ICU, and deaths attributed to influenza, is considered low.
  • Impact – Impact for the season to date, as measured through the number of sentinel hospital beds occupied by patients with influenza and the rate of Flutracking respondents absent from normal duties, is considered to be low to moderate.
  • Virology – The majority of confirmed influenza cases reported nationally were influenza A in the year to date (79.5%) and reporting fortnight (70.7%). Of the influenza A cases that were subtyped, there has been a higher proportion of influenza A(H3N2) compared to influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. The proportion of cases attributed to influenza B has increased slightly in the past fortnight, following a steady decline during July.
  • Vaccine match and effectiveness – Antigenic analysis of circulating influenza viruses in Australia in 2019 shows that the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and influenza B/Yamagata-lineage viruses are well matched to the 2019 influenza vaccine while some A(H3N2) and B/Victoria-lineage viruses are less well matched. Overall vaccine effectiveness appears good and as expected based on preliminary estimates from sentinel general practice (ASPREN) and sentinel hospital (FluCAN-PAEDS) surveillance systems, noting that effectiveness typically ranges from around 40-60% each year.