Using research to prepare for outbreaks of severe acute respiratory infection

from loCAl To globAl dATA on Severe ACuTe reSPIrATory InfeCTIonS The global SPRINT-SARI programme has a primary purpose of testing the clinical research infrastructure and network logistics in varied settings. We demonstrated that presentation, management and outcomes for patients with SARI vary substantially according to global region. The implications of this variation are large, and suggest a need for ongoing, prospective data collection at a global scale to ensure a better understanding of patient characteristics, specific SARI risk factors and the importance of a reliable risk adjustment method for international comparative studies. Further, the use of organ dysfunction, as measured by a SOFA score collected on presentation for critically ill patients with SARI in disparate settings, appears promising. This deserves further work for risk stratification and early outbreak severity predictions, particularly in children where our data are limited.