Hospitalised adult patients with Suspected 2009 H1N1 Infection at Regional Infectious Diseases Units in Scotland – Most had alternative final diagnoses

The misdiagnosis of serious illness during the current flu pandemic has been highlighted in your journal by Payne et al, and others have raised their concern. 1 Payne R. Darton T.C. Greig J.M. Systematic telephone triage of possible ‘Swine’ influenza leads to potentially serious misdiagnosis of infectious diseases. J Infect. 2009 Sept 10; ([Epub ahead of print]) PubMed Google Scholar , 2 Wilson E.J. Williams J. McCarron B. A/H1N1 pandemic flu – case definition is too loose. BMJ. 2009; 339: 415 Google Scholar We have reviewed 110 cases of “query H1N1” presenting to our Infectious Diseases service and have found a variety of alternative diagnoses, some of which required significantly different management.