title: Influenza type A and B infections in hospitalized pediatric patients. Who should be immunized?
abstract: Medical records of 99 hospitalized pediatric patients whose respiratory viral cultures yielded influenza type A or B during the winter of 1988/1989 were reviewed. We compared the records of patients considered to be at high risk (n = 43) with those of patients considered to be at low risk (n = 56) to determine differences in morbidity and mortality and if vaccination was warranted. Sixty-six percent of high-risk patients had chronic pulmonary disease. Forty-four percent of the high-risk and 11% of the low-risk patients were hospitalized for 14 or more days. Nosocomial influenza infections were identified in 14% of the high-risk and 4% of the low-risk patients. Four of the high-risk patients and only one of the low-risk patients were intubated. Of the three deaths, two occurred in the high-risk group. None of the high-risk patients who experienced significant morbidity had been immunized. We need to immunize high-risk patients, particularly high-risk pulmonary patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Calif.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Serwint
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Korsch
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology*; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D007440:Intubation; D007902:Length of Stay; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines