title: Pediatric Neurologic Complications Associated With Influenza A H1N1.
abstract: Influenza is associated with a variety of neurologic complications. Although the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of influenza A H1N1 were reviewed in depth, only brief descriptions of neurologic complications exist. We describe the neurologic complications of children hospitalized with influenza A H1N1 infection. We undertook a retrospective study of all hospitalized children with laboratory-confirmed influenza A H1N1 infection accompanied by neurologic complications during a 4-month winter period. Their demographics and clinical characteristics of neurologic presentations were reviewed. Fourteen of 74 children (19%) with laboratory-confirmed influenza A H1N1 infection presented with neurologic complications. Eleven (11/14, 79%) were previously healthy, and three exhibited chronic conditions. Ten (10/14, 71%) presented with seizures: six were febrile, and four were nonfebrile. Other complications included transverse myelitis, myositis, expressive aphasia, and syncope. Only the child with transverse myelitis required a course of rehabilitation. Neurologic complications associated with influenza A H1N1 in our patients were relatively mild. Seizures (febrile or nonfebrile) were the most common. However, the possibility of influenza A H1N1 infection should be borne in mind when diagnosing children with neurologic signs during the influenza A H1N1 season.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Unit, Dana Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. yuval.landau@childrens.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Yuval E
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Landau
authors.forename: Galia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grisaru-Soen
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reif
authors.forename: Aviva
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fattal-Valevski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology