title: Management of the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic in patients with hematologic diseases: a prospective experience at an Italian center.
abstract: Data derived from epidemiologic surveillance adopted at our center in hematologic and stem cell transplant patients during the 2009 influenza A (H1N1)v pandemic are reported. Of the 52 patients with influenza-like disease we observed, 37 underwent a real-time PCR evaluation and 21 had a confirmed diagnosis. Of the RT-PCR-confirmed cases, 23.8% were children (age <18 years) and 9.5% were >65 years; 47.6% presented with a pulmonary infiltrate and 33.3% with respiratory failure. Pulmonary involvement was observed more frequently in patients with comorbidities. All patients received a course of oseltamivir therapy starting an average of 1 day (range <1-2) after the onset of symptoms. No patient was transferred to the intensive care unit. The viral disease had a generally favorable outcome despite the high frequency of pulmonary involvement. A prompt clinical evaluation with an early antiviral and supportive therapy may have played a beneficial role in the outcome.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ematologia, Oncologia, Anatomia Patologica e Medicina Rigenerative, Azienda Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italia. girmenia@bce.uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Girmenia
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mercanti
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Federico
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Vellis
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Valle
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Micozzi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Latagliata
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Breccia
authors.forename: Salvatore Giacomo
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Morano
authors.forename: Gregorio Antonio
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Brunetti
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sali
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delogu
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Foà
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alimena
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gentile
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053139:Oseltamivir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D053139:Oseltamivir