Volume 6, Number 3—June 2000
Dispatch
Costs and Benefits of a Subtype-Specific Surveillance System for Identifying Escherichia coli O157:H7 Outbreaks
Elamin H. Elbasha*
, Thomas D. Fitzsimmons*†, and Martin I. Meltzer*
, Thomas D. Fitzsimmons*†, and Martin I. Meltzer*Table 2
Assumptions about disease severity following an Escherichia coli O157:H7 infectiona
| Severity category | Assumptions |
|---|---|
| No. 1 | Patient does not seek medical care, recovers, and misses 2 days of work |
| No. 2 | Patient seeks medical care for hemorrhagic colitis, has one laboratory test, recovers, and misses 4 days of work |
| No. 3 | Patient is hospitalized for hemorrhagic colitis for 6.5 days and recovers after missing 14 days of work |
| No. 4 | Patient is hospitalized for hemorrhagic colitis for 6.5 days, misses 14 days of work, and dies in the first year |
| No. 5 | Patient is hospitalized for acute HUSb for 5 days in ICUc and 10 days in a regular room, and recovers after missing 32 days of work |
| No. 6 | Patient is hospitalized for acute HUSb for 5 days in ICUc and 10 days in a regular room, requires dialysis for 12 days, and recovers after missing 32 days of work |
| No. 7 | Patient is hospitalized for hemorrhagic colitis; comes down with chronic HUSb; may require dialysis, transplants, or drug therapy; cannot work for an extended period; and recovers |
| No. 8 | Patient is hospitalized for hemorrhagic colitis; comes down with chronic HUSb; may require dialysis, transplants, or drug therapy; cannot work for an extended period; and dies |
| No. 9 | Patient is hospitalized for acute HUSb for 5 days in ICUc and 10 days in a regular room and dies after missing 32 days of work |
aAdapted from Buzby et al (4). A patient is defined as a person infected with E. coli O157:H7 who has at least a gastrointestinal illness for more than 1 day.
bHUS, hemolytic uremic syndrome.
cICU, intensive care unit.
