Define and Identify Cases - case definition and line listing
- Case Definition - establish with the 4 components or standard critieria for determining who has the disease or condition
- Clinical information - about the disease or condition
- Characteristics - the effected people
- Location or place - as specific as possible as restaturant, county, or several specific areas
- Time sequence - specific time during which the outbreak or condition occurred
- Idenitification of specific cases - kind & number - count specific cases
- Confirmed - have diagnosis with case definition plus lab verification
- Probable - many factors point to diagnosis but my lack lab verification
- Possible - some factors point to diagnosis
- Note: Initial reports may be only a small sampling of the total problem. Be sure to expand search to determine the true size and extent of the problem.
- Line Listing - chart of specific cases including information about each case
- Identifying information - ID or case # - left column + name or initials
- Clinical Information - diagnosis, symptoms, lab results, hospital - death?
- Descriptive: Time - date & time of onset + date of report
- Descriptive: Person - age, sex, occupation, other characteristics
- Descriptive: Place - street, city or county + specific site
- Risk factors & possible causes - specific to situation (disease) and outbreak setting