摘要：In Victoria, legislation clearly makes the notification of clinical or confirmed cases of meningococcaldisease mandatory. Statistical modelling suggests that meningococcal disease is significantlyunder-notified, and that incorrect codes might be being ascribed to some in-patient episodes. The aimsof this study were (i) to test the assumption that cases identified as non-notified cases were true cases,and (ii) to identify the reasons for non-detection on the hospital separation database andnon-notification to the infectious diseases unit. Of 26 cases not identified on the in-patient dataset, themain causes were either being given completely incorrect ICD-9-CM codes (11 cases) or being givencodes for a different type of meningitis (8 cases). Of 29 non-notified admissions, most were clinically(17) or microbiologically (6) confirmed cases, although 5 were coded in error and were not cases ofmeningococcal disease. Therefore, although the allocation of incorrect ICD-9-CM codes at separationwas a major reason for discrepancy, non-notification was a real and recent problem. It is also possiblethat some clinical staff did not understand the relationship between Neisseria meningitidis andmeningococcal disease, the public health implications of this infection, or the law relating to it.
