title: Clinical analysis of critically ill patients with H1N1 influenza.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the clinical characteristic, main treatment, and prognosis for the sake of more effective treatments for critically ill patients with H1N1 influenza.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight critically ill patients with H1N1 influenza in intensive care unit were retrospectively studied, including clinical characteristics, indexex of correlation, and prognosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score was 19.0+/-7.8. Five patients died, 4 of whom were caused by respiratory failure. The number of platelets in dead patient was lower than that in healing and improved ones(χ²=8.000,P<0.05).All the 4 patients treated with glucocorticoid died, 5 out of the 6 patients received invasive mechanical ventilation rather than noninvasive mechanical ventilation, and 3 of them who complicated barotraumas in the lung died at last.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Critically ill patients with H1N1 influenza have high mortality. Respiratory failure is the main cause of death. Critically ill patients with H1N1 influenza should not be treated with glucocorticoid. Patients who need mechanical ventilation should be treated with invasive mechanical ventilation with low tidal volume and low positive end-expiratory pressure.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
authors.forename: Zhihui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Guobao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ruoyun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Jinxiu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D016638:Critical Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult