H1N1 Influenza: Hospital Countermeasures and the Need for Planning

Abstract

Purpose: With a surge of H1N1 patients on November 2009, about 3 million confirmed or suspected cases and 140 deaths have been reported in Korea. The chaotic crisis brought on by patient overcrowding in emergency departments (EDs) nationwide was unique since the establishment of the countries’ emergency medicine system. This article analyzes the present status of H1N1 influenza A virus-induced ED overcrowding and the coping strategies of the affected hospitals, with the aim of guiding the formation of strategies to better handle future illness outbreaks. Methods: Telephone inquiries were made and e-mail questionnaires were distributed to general hospitals nationwide. The telephone inquiries were made twice, before and after the surge of flu-suspected-patients’ visits to EDs. The surveyed hospitals were arbitrarily selected, considering the degree of regional representation. Results: Coping with the surge of flu-suspected patients imposed a heavy burden of patient overcrowding on EDs. There was only palliative countermeasure and no exhaustive plans for influenza epidemic preparedness. Conclusion: Flu patient overcrowding imposed a heavy burden on the EDs of the surveyed hospitals, especially in the evening and overnight hours. Planning concerning community preparedness, public health communications, and work-force support is needed. New guidelines and strategies should be established to prevent ED overcrowding in future pandemics.