title: [Clinical characteristics of pediatric patients treated for influenza A (H1N1). The 2009 pandemic in Mexico].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus was first reported in April 2009. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical course of patients with influenza-like illness treated in a tertiary care pediatric hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analytical study, encompassing the period from April 2009 to March 2010. Clinical and demographic information was obtained from clinical records. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics, using a univariate analysis with the chi-square test, the exact Fisher test, and the Mann-Whitney U test for quantitative variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  240 patients were included, out of which 53.9 % were female; median age was 5 years. Sixty four cases (26.6 %) were confirmed, 38 % had and underlying condition, and 10 % had received the influenza vaccine. One hundred and sixteen patients (48 %) were hospitalized. With regard to mortality, 10 out of 64 confirmed cases died, 3 of the 86 of the disregarded cases, and 2 of 90 without a confirmatory test died (p < 0.05). The patients who died started antiviral treatment on day 7; conversely, those who survived started the treatment on day 4 (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lethality was higher in patients with confirmed infection. Antiviral treatment within the first 48 hours was observed to be essential for patients with risk for the development of complications.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital General de Zona 48 San Pedro Xalpa, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Distrito Federal, México. guadalumiranda@terra.com.mx.
authors.forename: Yazmín Carmen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Fuentes-Pacheco
authors.forename: Eric Moisés
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Flores-Ruiz
authors.forename: Fortino
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Solórzano-Santos
authors.forename: Abigail
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meza-Chávez
authors.forename: Irma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zamudio-Lugo
authors.forename: José Guillermo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Vázquez-Rosales
authors.forename: María Guadalupe
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Miranda-Novales
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D058873:Pandemics; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Antiviral agents; Influenza A virus subtype H1N1; Pandemics; Pneumonia