Clinical characteristics of pneumonia in hospitalized patients with novel influenza A (H1N1) in Korea.
In March 2009, a novel influenza H1N1 virus (2009 H1N1) emerged and spread worldwide. We describe the clinical course of pneumonia in patients hospitalized with 2009 H1N1 in Korea from August to mid-October 2009. Of 351 patients with a confirmed 2009 H1N1 infection, a total of 17 patients with pneumonia were admitted to an acute care unit. More than half of the patients were between 7 and 23 y of age, and only 2 patients were 65 y of age or older. Only 6 patients (35.3%) had underlying medical conditions. For 10 of the 17 patients, chest radiographs taken on admission had findings of pneumonia with bilateral infiltrates. Despite intensive resuscitative efforts, 1 adult patient arriving with severe hypoxemia in the emergency department died 3 weeks later. However, we were able to discharge most of the patients without any other complication in 5 days. 2009 H1N1 was the cause of pneumonia with mild hypoxemia at admission in previously healthy school-aged persons in Korea.
Choi
Wook Jin
WJ
Department of Emergency Medicine, Ulsan University College of Medicine, Asan Medical Centre, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Won Young
WY
Kim
Sung-Han
SH
Oh
Bum Jin
BJ
Kim
Won
W
Lim
Kyung Su
KS
Hong
Sang-Bum
SB
Lim
Chae-Man
CM
Koh
Yoinsuck
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D007723:Korea; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D055815:Young Adult