Clinical features, risk factors, and complications among pediatric patients with pandemic influenza A (H1N1).
OBJECTIVE
The authors aimed to describe the epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, risk factors for severe disease, and complications in children with laboratory-confirmed pandemic influenza A (H1N1).


METHODS
H1N1 was confirmed by performing reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay on oropharyngeal swab specimens. The medical charts of a subset of the evaluated patients were reviewed retrospectively; another subset was enrolled prospectively.


RESULTS
A total of 51 patients (44 [86%] > 5 years) were identified to have laboratory-confirmed H1N1. Fever was the most common presenting symptom (92%). Of the 15 hospitalized patients, 4 had asthma, and 5 were overweight or obese. All but 1 of these 9 patients developed influenza-related complications. Overall, 10 of the 15 hospitalized patients (67%) developed an influenza-related complication (6 bronchitis and 4 pneumonia).


CONCLUSIONS
In this cohort, most children with confirmed H1N1 infection experience an uncomplicated viral illness. Nevertheless, underlying asthma and obesity may aggravate their clinical course.
Plessa
Eleni
E
Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences, and General Hospital of Zakynthos, Zakynthos, Greece.
Diakakis
Panagiotis
P
Gardelis
John
J
Thirios
Athanasios
A
Koletsi
Patra
P
Falagas
Matthew E
ME
D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000821:virology; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000821:virology; D058873:Pandemics; D010361:Patients; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors