Preparing for avian influenza

Purpose of review Pandemic influenza is inevitable, will have significant impact on the population and will challenge healthcare delivery. Planning for an influenza pandemic will improve the ability of healthcare facilities to respond successfully. Recent findings Planning activities involve determining the role of the facility during an influenza pandemic, estimating resources necessary to fulfil this role and developing the infrastructure, material and human resources surge capacity necessary to meet the estimated needs. Plans to perform surveillance for potentially contagious individuals, handle clinical specimens, increase social distancing during a pandemic and the development of personal preparedness plans may be beneficial. Summary The goal of this review is to provide a framework for healthcare facility pandemic influenza planning.