Angela Campbell, MD, MPH
Medical Officer
Influenza
Division
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory
Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Clinician Panelist(s):
Pauline K. Park, MD, FACS, FCCM
Professor of
Surgery
Co-Director, Surgical Intensive Care Unit
University of
Michigan
Lena M. Napolitano MD, FACS, FCCP, FCCM
Professor of Surgery
Division Chief,
Acute Care Surgery
Associate Chair of
Surgery, Department of Surgery
Director, Trauma and Surgical Critical
Care
University of Michigan
Janet V. Diaz, MD
Consultant, Intensive Care and
Pulmonary Medicine
Department of Critical Care Medicine
Contra Costa
Regional Medical Center, Martinez
California
Overview:
This influenza season, CDC has received a number of reports of severe
respiratory illness among young and middle-aged adults, many of whom were
infected with influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 (pH1N1) virus. Multiple pH1N1-associated
hospitalizations, including many requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission,
and some fatalities have been reported. For the 2013-14 season, if pH1N1 virus
continues to circulate widely, illness that disproportionately affects young and
middle-aged adults may occur. Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for
all persons aged 6 months and older, and is the best way to prevent influenza.
However, available evidence consistently indicates that antiviral treatment,
when initiated as early as possible in patients with confirmed or suspected
influenza, can reduce severe outcomes of influenza. During this COCA conference
call, critical care physicians will comment on their recent experiences caring
for patients with severe influenza, and a CDC subject matter expert will
summarize the 2013-14 season to date and review CDC recommendations for health
care providers including the use of antiviral medications for the treatment of
influenza.
Additional Call Resources: