Fleming D M, Ayres J G
J R Coll Gen Pract. 1988 Apr;38(309):159-62.
The incidence of influenza, influenza-like illness and the common cold during the influenza epidemics of 1972 and 1976 as reported to the weekly returns service of the Royal College of General Practitioners was examined by three regional areas and by age group. The results of a postal questionnaire concerned with diagnostic criteria used by participating doctors were also analysed. These two analyses were used to explore the validity of these diagnostic terms as reported in the weekly returns service.The two influenza epidemics peaked at about the same time throughout the country and in all age groups simultaneously, although the severity of the epidemic seemed to wane from south to north in 1976. The reported incidence of influenza-like illness and of the common cold was less in the central region than in the north and south during both the two epidemic years. Influenza incidence was maximal in age groups 15-44 and 45-64 years, whereas the reported incidence of influenza-like illness and the common cold was maximal in pre-school children.Additionally, influenza-like illness and the common cold appeared to a fairly uniform extent every winter whereas influenza was truly epidemic.From the questionnaire to general practitioners, the symptoms of rigors, malaise and myalgia and the recognition of an epidemic were the important criteria which differentiated influenza from influenza-like illness.We conclude that in general practice the distinction between influenza and influenza-like illness is reliably made and has validity in the clinical context and meaning of these diagnostic terms.
对向皇家全科医师学院每周汇报服务处报告的1972年和1976年流感流行期间流感、流感样疾病及普通感冒的发病率，按三个地区和年龄组进行了研究。还分析了一份与参与医生所使用诊断标准有关的邮政调查问卷的结果。这两项分析用于探讨每周汇报服务中所报告的这些诊断术语的有效性。两次流感流行在全国范围内大致同时达到高峰，且在所有年龄组中同时出现，不过1976年疫情的严重程度似乎从南向北逐渐减弱。在这两个流行年份，中部地区报告的流感样疾病和普通感冒发病率均低于北部和南部地区。流感发病率在15 - 44岁和45 - 64岁年龄组中最高，而报告的流感样疾病和普通感冒发病率在学龄前儿童中最高。此外，流感样疾病和普通感冒似乎每年冬天都有相当程度的出现，而流感则是真正的流行。从发给全科医生的调查问卷来看，寒战、不适和肌痛症状以及对疫情的认知是区分流感和流感样疾病的重要标准。我们得出结论，在全科医疗中，流感和流感样疾病之间的区分能够可靠地做出，并且在这些诊断术语的临床背景和意义方面是有效的。
