National Emergency Department Registry for Mpox: Coordinating Multisite Surveillance Networks to Inform Current and...

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Limited institutional reports on mpox cases in emergency departments (EDs) hindered understanding of demographic trends and service needs.
• The mpox outbreak necessitated a coordinated response, highlighting the role of EDs in patient management and data collection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a national data repository of ED patients with mpox.
• To inform epidemiologic trends and identify service needs for mpox management in EDs.
• To analyze demographic and clinical characteristics of mpox patients presenting to US EDs.

Main Methods:

• A national multicenter retrospective chart review of laboratory-confirmed mpox cases.
• Inclusion of patients aged 18 years and older presenting to 8 EDs across the US.
• Data collection from June 2022 to January 2023, covering demographic and clinical variables.

Main Results:

• A cohort of 270 patients, predominantly young men (98%), with a median age of 34 years.
• Common presentations included skin lesions (94%), fever/flu-like symptoms (56%), and rectal pain (26%).
• Over half of patients (52%) had a known HIV diagnosis; significant STI coinfection rates were observed, including syphilis (36%).

Conclusions:

• EDs were critical in the mpox response, mirroring their role during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• High rates of STI coinfections necessitate routine testing protocols in mpox patient care.
• Multisite data collection and surveillance networks are vital for effective outbreak response and understanding disease trends.