Evaluation of the melioidosis surveillance system in Warinchamrab Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani province, 2021-2022

Abstract

Melioidosis is a serious and potentially fatal infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. It is difficult to diagnose because of its nonspecific symptoms, which call for culture.  This disease is quite prevalent in Ubon Ratchathani province. This study aims to investigate the reporting procedure, both quantitative and qualitative characteristics, and offer suggestions for developing a melioidosis surveillance system. This cross-sectional study was conducted by examining data from patients who were treated at Warinchamrab Hospital from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, and who had sepsis, pneumonia, or abscesses, and whose cultures revealed Burkholderia pseudomallei. gathering information from patient medical records and the 506 report. and discussions with executives, epidemiology officers and medical professionals. The study found that In the Disease Control Department serves as a hub for disease surveillance from hospitals and healthcare networks in Warinchamrab District, reviewing data prior to reporting to higher authorities. With a 6.1% reporting sensitivity a 95% positive predictive value, The accuracy and completeness of the data was determined to be 100% for gender, age, race, and address; however, the accuracy of the patient type and treatment outcome was only 57.9%. As a proxy, the representativeness of the age and gender variables can be considered. At 15.8%, timeliness was determined to be present. Regarding acceptance, each officer assigned significance. It's an easy system to use. Flexibility discovered that the report data was only handled by one officer. Usefulness is still low due to lack of data linkage. In conclusion Warinchamrab Hospital's melioidosis disease surveillance system was featured an easy-to-follow reporting procedure. While the positive predictive value was at a good level, sensitivity needed to be increased. The cause is that results from a culture are needed for diagnosis. and underreporting occurs because it takes time to summarize medical records. Proposed solutions should be implemented with the help of more laboratory test surveillance, human resources training of epidemiologists, executives, and medical professionals. Furthermore, the development of information systems for disease surveillance.