title: Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of 2009 pandemic influenza A in hospitalized pediatric patients of the Saurashtra region, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The first case of 2009 pandemic influenza A or H1N1 virus infection in India was reported in May 2009 and in the Saurashtra region in August 2009. We describe the two waves clinicoepidemiological characteristics of children who were hospitalized with 2009 influenza A infection in the Saurashtra region.
  
  
  METHODS
  From September 2009 to February 2011, we treated 117 children infected with 2009 influenza A virus who were admitted in different hospitals in Rajkot city. Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test was used to confirm infection, and the clinico-epidemiological features of the disease were closely monitored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the 117 patients, with a median age of 2 years, 59.8% were male. The median time from onset of the disease to influenza A diagnosis was 5 days, and that from onset of the disease to hospitalization was 7 days. The admitted patients took oseltamivir, but only 11.1% of them took it within 2 days after onset of the disease. More than one fourth (29.1%) of the admitted patients died. The most common symptoms of the patients were cough (98.3%), fever (94.0%), sore throat and shortness of breathing. Pneumonia was detected by chest radiography in 80.2% of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In children with infection-related illness, the survival rate was about 71% after oseltamivir treatment. The median time for virus detection with real-time RT-PCR is 5 days. Early diagnosis and treatment may reduce the severity of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, M P Shah Medical College, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India. dranakonda@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Rajesh K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Chudasama
authors.forename: Umed V
authors.initials: UV
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Pramod B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: Prerna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Shital
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhalodiya
authors.forename: Devangi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dholakiya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D058873:Pandemics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction