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Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Influenza Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities for Public Health Units in Australia

4.7 Monitoring the outbreak

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Monitoring of the outbreak must include ongoing surveillance to identify new cases and update the status of ill residents and staff. The facility OIMT representative will update the line listing with new information and communicate this to a designated person. The review of the updated information should examine the issues of ongoing transmission, and the effectiveness of control measures, including prophylaxis. Changes in the outbreak control measures may be indicated from the review of the data. Additional laboratory testing may be indicated as well. If new cases continue to be identified, prophylaxis failure (virus resistance) or a new organism causing infections must be considered.

Regarding updating of the line listing, the following data should be considered:

Residents

  • addition of new cases with all appropriate information
  • identification of residents who have recovered
  • updating of status of ill residents, including notation of issues such as worsening symptoms, clinical and/or x-ray diagnosis of pneumonia
  • adverse reaction to any prescribed antiviral prophylactic medication, or discontinuation of antiviral prophylactic medication
  • transfers to acute-care hospitals
  • deaths

    Staff

  • addition of new staff cases including all appropriate information
  • identification of staff who have recovered and confirmation with the PHU of return to work date

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    • Table of Contents
    Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Influenza Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities for Public Health Units in Australia
      Disclaimer
      Acknowledgements
      Preface
      How to use this document
      Summary Flow Chart
      Chapter 1: Introduction
       1.1 Influenza
       1.2 Linkages with other documents and the internet
      Chapter 2: Preventing Outbreaks
       2.1 Vaccination
       2.2 Infection Control Precautions
      Chapter 3: Outbreak and Case Definitions
       3.1 Introduction
       3.2 Respiratory Disease Outbreak Definition
       3.3 Case definition
       3.4 Outcome definitions
      Chapter 4: Investigation and Management of Outbreaks
       4.1 Assess the Suspected Outbreak
       4.2 Outbreak Investigation and Management Team
       4.3 The Investigation
       4.4 Diagnostic tests
       4.5 Documents for communication with the facility
       4.6 Outbreak control measures
       4.7 Monitoring the outbreak
       4.8 Declare that the outbreak is over
       4.9 Debriefing
      Chapter 5: References
      Appendices
       Appendix 1: Environmental Cleaning
       Appendix 2: Respiratory Outbreak Control Measures
       Appendix 3: Checklist for Public Health Unit for Investigation and Management of Outbreaks
       Appendix 4: Respiratory Outbreak Line Listing - Residents ONLY
       Appendix 5: Part A Respiratory Outbreak Line Listing Form - Staff ONLY
       Appendix 6: Influenza & Pneumococcal Immunisation Survey
       Appendix 7: Sample Collection Guide*
       Appendix 8: Guidelines for Taking Nasal and Throat Swabs
       Appendix 9: Respiratory outbreak transfer notification
       Appendix 10: Visitor Restriction Sign - Facility
       Appendix 11: Visitor Restriction Sign - Room
       Appendix 12: Antiviral medications for treatment and prophylaxis of influenza
       Appendix 13: Respiratory illness/Influenza outbreak alert letter to RCF Manager
       Appendix 14: Respiratory illness/Influenza outbreak alert letter to medical practitioner
       Appendix 15: Glossary and List of Abbreviations