Award Date

5-1-2012

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

First Committee Member

Mark Buttner

Second Committee Member

Michelle Chino

Third Committee Member

Sheniz Moonie

Fourth Committee Member

Vernon Hodge

Number of Pages

45

Abstract

Background:In 2009, a novel H1N1 Influenza A virus was detected in the population. Because it can potentially affect a different population than the influenza strains circulating for the past 35 years, it is critical for physicians, practitioners and public health organizations to understand who is susceptible to this disease, and which sub-populations are most likely to suffer critical illness. The objective of this study was to examine the factors unique to 2009 H1N1 infection, with the goal of finding the variables associated with ICU admission (Critical Illness) in the Clark County 2009 H1N1 patient.

Methods:Factors that were assessed in this retrospective (review of medical records) case-control study include: Heart Disease, Chronic Lung Condition, Cancer Treatment, Other Immunosuppressive Conditions, Metabolic Disease, Pregnancy, BMI, Age and Gender. These were tested in logistic regression analyses to determine factors that predict ICU admission.

Results:For the adult population (>17; n=341), "Age", "Gender" and "Cancer in the last year" were the only variables that could be included in the final model. The Hosmer and Lemeshow Test indicated this model did not predict ICU admission (p

Interpretation:Because of the unique nature of the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic the results of this study are inconclusive; it is hypothesized that physicians were being cautious during the 2009 H1N1 season due to the strain's unknown pathogenicity/ virulence, and that they hospitalized `healthy' H1N1 positive patients with chronic diseases or conditions which were linked to severe illness for influenza patients during previous epidemics. This would make it impossible for a statistical analysis to differentiate between the two outcomes (ICU admission and non-ICU [Med-Surg]).

Keywords

Chronic illness; Chronically ill; H1N1 influenza – Patients; H1N1 influenza – Susceptibility; Hospitals; ICU; Influenza; Influenza A virus; Logistic regression

Disciplines

Epidemiology | Influenza Humans | Public Health | Virus Diseases

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Download


Share

COinS