Clinical profile and mortality among novel influenza A (H1N1) infected patients: 2009-2010 Jodhpur, Rajasthan pandemic.
OBJECTIVE
Influenza causes annual seasonal epidemics around the world. Periodically, a genetically novel strain of influenza circulates worldwide, causing an influenza pandemic. The present study aims to assess the clinical profile, factors determining the response, prognosis of the disease and outcome in H1N1 positive patients during 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic, so that epidemiology of the disease could be known and high risk groups can be identified.


METHODS
Medical records of the H1N1 positive patients, confirmed by RT-PCR method, admitted in ICU/Isolation ward in M.D.M. Hospital, Jodhpur during pandemic of H1N1 influenza (2009-2010) were retrieved and retrospectively studied, the data collected was analysed.


RESULTS
During the study period there were 221 H1N1 positive admissions. The age group most affected was 21-40 years in both males (52%) and females (67%). There were 80 deaths; mortality was high in rural population (64%) and pregnant women particularly in third trimester (80%). Common presenting symptoms were Cough, Fever, Breathlessness, Sore throat, Nasal Discharge, Expectoration and Body aches, other less common symptoms were Headache, Vomiting, Diarrhoea and Fatigue.


CONCLUSIONS
Swine flu influenza infection took its heaviest toll in terms of human lives and economy because the young and productive population was mostly affected. Pregnant women and the patients with co-morbid conditions were the susceptible population and thus preventive and therapeutic interventions should be directed to them. Early vaccination of high risk groups and high index of suspicion in the symptomatic patients and chemoprophylaxis accordingly can save many human lives.
Shyam
S
Mathur
Tuhin
T
Dubey
Manish
M
Kulshrestha
Harish
H
Agarwal
Gagan
G
Mathur
Arvind
A
Mathur
Shuchi
S
Mathur
Prabhu
P
Prakash
Vikas
V
Rajpurohit
Ganpat
G
Gehlot
Pinki
P
Tak
D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000401:mortality* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors