title: Clinical features of influenza A virus infection in older hospitalized persons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the value of clinical parameters in predicting influenza in older persons and those with underlying cardiopulmonary conditions hospitalized with respiratory illnesses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective evaluation of hospitalized persons from November 15, 1999, to April 15, 2000.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 450-bed general medical-surgical hospital in Rochester, New York.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients aged 65 and older or those with underlying cardiopulmonary conditions admitted to the hospital with respiratory diagnoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ability to discriminate influenza from noninfluenza cases using clinical parameters. Influenza infection was documented by culture, rapid antigen detection, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, or serology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-one influenza A infections (mean age +/- standard deviation = 79 +/- 10) were identified in 332 evaluated illnesses (18.3%). Fifty-six cases occurred in 168 patients (33%) during a 9-week epidemic period; 40 were considered contagious on the basis of a positive culture or antigen test. Neither single clinical parameters nor logistic regression analysis using all parameters clearly discriminated influenza from noninfluenza cases. The complex of cough, temperature of 38 degrees C or higher, and illness duration of 7 days or less provided the best discrimination between infected and uninfected subjects; during the epidemic period, 53% of subjects with this symptom complex had influenza, compared with 18% without these symptoms (relative risk = 2.99, 95% confidence interval = 1.85-4.83). This symptom complex had a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 73% for contagious influenza during the epidemic period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In older persons and those with underlying cardiopulmonary conditions admitted with acute respiratory illness during influenza epidemics, the presence of fever, cough, and brief illness should be useful for institution of respiratory isolation and for design of antiviral trials.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Department of Medicine, and Department of Biostatistics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14621, USA. edward.walsh@viahealth.org
authors.forename: Edward E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Ann R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Falsey
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003371:Cough; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D007297:Inpatients; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors