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The H1N1 flu virus (red) bears a disturbing resemblance to the virus strain that caused the 1918 flu pandemic - Source: Reuters -
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Lessons learnt by New Zealand and Australia during the recent swine flu epidemic will be passed on to countries about to head into their own flu season.
A new study has revealed the impact of the complications of swine flu on the health of the general public.
The lessons learned in Australian and New Zealand intensive care hospital units (ICUs) from the impact of the H1N1 influenza, or swine flu, virus were published on Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The three-month study, conducted at the height of the pandemic found that 722 patients were admitted to ICUs, including 96 in New Zealand, and at the peak of the epidemic up to 20% of ICU beds were occupied by patients admitted because of infection with swine flu.
The study was coordinated by the Monash University-based Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre (ANZIC-RC).
Dr Colin McArthur, from the Department of Critical Care Medicine at Auckland City Hospital and chairman of the New Zealand ICU influenza advisory group, says the impact of the virus on intensive care units at hospitals across Australia and New Zealand was dramatic.
"Intensive care units specialise in the management of patients with life-threatening illness and the surge of patients with H1N1 influenza placed substantial strain on staff and resources."
"The number of patients and the long stays in ICU required by some patients stretched the resources of many hospitals in both countries," Dr McArthur says.
Clinical Associate Professor Steve Webb, from the intensive care unit at Royal Perth Hospital, sayd the information which surfaced from the study would benefit other countries about to head into their winter.
"Unlike previous seasonal influenza strains, which impact heavily on elderly people and people with severe coexisting medical conditions, the H1N1 virus affected a different profile."
"Critical illness due to swine flu was commonest in infants and middle aged people; with pregnant patients, the obese, and Pacific Island, Maori and Aboriginal patients being particularly affected."
About one third of patients admitted to an ICU because of swine flu had no underlying health problems, Prof Webb says.
