233661 Correlation between Over-The-Counter Thermometer Sales and Emergency Room Department Visits for Influenza like Illness

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Sadia Aslam, MPH , Office of Preparedness and Response, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, MD
Isaac Ajit, MBChB, MPH , Office of Preparedness and Response, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, MD
Sherry Adams, RN, CPM , Office of Preparedness and Response, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, MD
Zachary Faigen, MSPH , Office of Preparedness and Response, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, MD
Background: ESSENCE (Electronic Surveillance System for Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics) allows public health to monitor various sources of data for public health events such as influenza. Maryland ESSENCE data includes emergency department (ED) visits, over-the counter sales (OTC) of medications and poison control data. Previous studies have indicated the thermometer sales contribute to a timely detection of influenza. Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) conducted a study to compare the trends of influenza like illnesses seen in the ED data and OTC thermometer sales data.

Methods: OTC thermometer sales and influenza like illness (ILI) data from ESSENCE for 2004 to present day were compared to study the correlation and trends of influenza.

Results: There were two major peaks during the H1N1 pandemic in 2009. Both of the peaks were seen in ILI ED visits data in ESSENCE as well as the OTC thermometer sales. For previous years dating back to 2004, a noticeable correlation for all the years was seen in ILI data and OTC thermometer sales.

Discussion: Over time, ESSENCE has been a vital tool for DHMH that provides timely and ongoing situational awareness for policy decision makers. Tracking of thermometer sales in ESSENCE could be used to identify seasonal trends in influenza. An increase in thermometer sales in a region can be an indicator that the local health department should begin flu programs, with both hospitals and residents, revolved around health education and vaccination.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology

Learning Objectives:
1. Describes Maryland's syndromic surveillance system. 2. Discuss the correlation of influenza-like illness data from emergency departments and over the counter thermometers sales. 3. Explain how syndromic surveillance data can be used for decision making in Maryland.

Keywords: Epidemiology, Public Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am responsible for biosurveillance activities and I am monitor the Maryland's syndromic surveillance system.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5007.0: Latebreaking epidemiology poster session 2: Chronic disease and social epidemiology