title: Comparative analysis of clinical characteristics of pandemic influenza a/h1n1 and seasonal influenza a infections in hospitalized children.
abstract: Pandemic influenza A/H1N1 (piA) caused significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. We compared characteristics of piA (2009/2010) to those of seasonal influenza A (2007/2008/2009) in 134 (piA/seasonal influenza A: N = 55/79) hospitalized patients <18 years of age. Chronic disease was present in 25%/33%. Most common symptoms were fever (87%/94%), cough (78%/86%), rhinitis (76%/76%) and pharyngitis (67%/68%). Croup syndrome (15%/3%), conjunctivitis (31%/10%) and febrile seizures (26%/13%) were more frequent in piA; 64%/53% patients had ≥1 complication, and 5 (3/2) were admitted to intensive care unit. Oseltamivir use was 20%/0%. Severity of pandemic influenza disease was not different compared with seasonal influenza A in preceding years.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University Children's Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Ulrich.Heininger@ukbb.ch
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Heininger
authors.forename: Gurli
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baer
authors.forename: Anna-Julia
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ryser
authors.forename: Yulin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index