2010 May 20 - Public hospitals stand down to Alert Level on 24 May 2010

Date: 20 May 2010; From the HA Corporate Communication Department
公立醫院今日調低應變級別
醫院管理局發言人於上星期(五月二十日星期四)提醒市民,醫管局會跟隨政府決定由今日(五月二十四日)開始將現時公立醫院的「緊急應變級別」調低至「戒備應變級別」。

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2010 May 19 - Establishment of the COC(ICU) Web

Date: 19 May 2010

With the support from Dr S H Liu and other colleagues in the HO Quality and Safety Division (QSD), the COC (ICU) web is now put under the QSD portal. You can access the web by clicking the following link, or go to qsd.home, choose ‘Infection, Emergency & Contingency’ and then COC (ICU).

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2010 Mar 11 - 超級惡菌藏醫院布簾 鮑氏不動桿菌抗藥可致命

Date: 11 Mar 2010
... 多重抗藥性鮑氏不動桿菌(MDR-AB: Multiply Drug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumanii)短短數年間極速變惡,05/06年只有1.7%患者感染此菌後出現抗藥性,08/09年暴增至最高46% ...

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2010 Mar 8 - Central Committee on Infectious Disease and Emergency Responses. HA ICU contingency plan for human swine influenza (HSI) / influenza A (H1N1). Hong Kong: Hospital Authority

Date: 8 Mar 2010
The current H1N1 flu pandemic is expected to increase demands for ICU services and beds in the coming winter season and Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HA) is a well equipped health system that has prepared contingency for the effect of H1N1 flu pandemic.

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2010 Mar 8 - Central Committee on Infectious Disease and Emergency Responses. HA ICU contingency plan for mass casualty disaster and major infection outbreak. Hong Kong: Hospital Authority

Date: 8 Mar 2010
The Coordinating Committee in Intensive Care [COC(ICU)], with its members comprising of the ICU directors and ICU nurse head representatives, serves the role to provide the professional viewpoints on the preparation of the contingency plan for critical care surge capacity, which are outlined in the following.

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2010 Feb 21 - 新奪命霉菌命名香港型 全球首發現 瑪麗病人死時鼻變黑

Apple Daily, 2010年02月21日
香港大學微生物學系發現致命新品種毛霉菌,也是全球首次發現,命名香港型橫梗霉屬( Lichtheimia hongkongensis)。

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2010 - Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) versus other fluid therapies: effects on kidney function

Dart AB, Mutter TC, Ruth CA, Taback SP. Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) versus other fluid therapies: effects on kidney function. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010, Issue 1.
Background
Hydroxyethyl starches (HES) are synthetic colloids commonly used for fluid resuscitation, yet controversy exists about their impact on kidney function.

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2010 Jan - Epidemiology of severe HSI cases in Hong Kong

Shiu TC, Au A, Cheung T. ; Commun Dis Watch. 2010 Jan 17-30;7(3):11.p. 3
Although the proportion of cases affecting elderly persons aged ≥65 years was small, the proportion of severe and fatal cases among the HSI cases aged ≥65 years were much higher at 10.08% and 4.03% respectively. The majority (73.8%) of fatal cases had at least one pre-existing chronic condition. The proportion of fatal cases among persons with chronic conditions is almost 40 times higher than cases without chronic diseases.

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2010 Jan - Recommendations on prevention of intravascular catheter associated bloodstream infection

Scientific Committee on Infection Control, and Infection Control Branch, Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health. Jan 2010

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2010 Jan - Summary of human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus reported to WHO, January 2003-March 2009: cluster-associated cases.

Wkly Epidemiol Rec. 2010 Jan 15;85(3):13-20.
WHO presents a summary of the global epidemiology of cluster-associated H5N1 infection cases up to the end of August 2009. During 2003-2009, 54 clusters of H5N1 infection were identified involving 138 cases (29% of 480 cases).

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2010 Jan - Aerosolized Bronchodilator Use May Increase Risk for Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

Medscape Medical News: Deborah Brauser
January 13, 2010 (Miami, Florida) — Aerosolized bronchodilators are independently associated with an increased risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in critically ill patients, according to results from an observational study presented here at the Society of Critical Care Medicine 39th Critical Care Congress.

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2009 Dec 30 - Medscape: How Is Oseltamivir Dosed in Patients Critically Ill With H1N1?

Ben Lomaestro, BS, PharmD. Senior Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Infectious Diseases, Department of Pharmacy, Albany Medical Center Hospital, Albany, New York. Posted on Medscape on 12/30/2009
Question: What is the current information regarding high-dose or prolonged duration of oseltamivir in patients critically ill with 2009 H1N1 infection?

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2010 Jan 3 - Apple Daily: 打肺炎鏈球菌針 未能盡抗惡菌 疫苗失防效兩童入 ICU

Date: 2010年01月03日
... 但中文大學兒科學系過去兩年接獲最少 4宗兒童注射疫苗後仍受感染個案,其中兩人細菌入血要接受深切治療( Intensive Care Unit簡稱 ICU)... 主因是疫苗只能預防逾 90個品種的肺炎鏈球菌中「最惡」的 7種,有其他「小霸王」已出現 .....

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2009 Dec 23 - Information on the use of intravenous zanamivir in human swine influenza. Version 1.

Central Committee on Infectious Disease and Emergency Responses. Hong Kong: Hospital Authority; 2009 Dec 23.

The Task Force on Human Swine Influenza has reviewed the clinical evidence as well as drug insert and came to a consensus on the suggested use of intravenous zanamivir in HA hospitals. When prescribing this drug, clinicians have to follow current policy on the use of unregistered drugs in HA hospitals, to seek approval from the Chief of Service of the department and to inform hospital pharmacy of the administration.

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2009 Dec - Mobile computed tomography scanner for head and neck imaging. Hong Kong: Hospital Authority; revised 2009 Dec. (Hospital Authority Healthcare Technology Assessment Brief; HTA RR/07/06)

HA updates its HTA report on mobile computed tomography scanner for head and neck imaging. There is insufficient evidence to support widespread adoption of mobile CT technology in the existing radiology services. The decision to install a mobile CT scanner in addition to a fixed one is primarily a cost-benefit consideration in service planning, subject to other factors pertinent to a particular healthcare setting.

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2009 Nov - Department of Health Drug News


I am pleased to inform you that a new, monthly, electronic drug news bulletin, the Drug News, has been launched by the Department of Health. The first issue of the Drug News has been uploaded onto the following website: http://www.psdh.gov.hk/eps/DrugNews.
The purpose of publishing the Drug News is to provide healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical traders with a monthly summary of local and overseas drug safety news captured in the previous month. It is hoped that the Drug News will assist you in keeping abreast with the latest drug safety issues.

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2009 Dec 2 - UK advice on critical care services during H1N1 pandemic

Advice from the H1N1 Critical Care Clinical Group. London: Dept. of Health; 2009 Dec 2
Documents prepared by the Clinical Group support the NHS in ensuring that critical care arrangements are strengthened during both the current H1N1 pandemic and any future, potentially more serious, pandemic strain.

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2009 Sep - Clinical Guidance for the Management of Influenza-Like Illness in the Context of Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Virus in Adult Intensive Care Units

Clinical Guidance for the Management of Influenza-Like Illness in the Context of Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Virus in Adult Intensive Care Units. Canada: Canadian Critical Care Society; 2009 Sep.
The guideline provides clinical guidance for the management of adult patients with severe influenza infections in the context of pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 Influenza in intensive care units.

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