title: Influenza in the pediatric population in Istanbul: a one center experience 2009-2014.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of pediatric patients with influenza infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients hospitalized with confirmed influenza between October 2009 and May 2014 were enrolled in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 66 ± 53 months (1-204 months). Fifty-four percent of patients had a chronic underlying disease. Twenty-four patients needed mechanical ventilation support and a two-month-old patient with liver disease died. Except for the 2009-2010 season, all patients who received mechanical ventilation had underlying disease. The hospital admission months were December-February in 2010-2011 and January-March in 2011-2012 as well as in 2012-2013. Convulsion was observed frequently in influenza A cases, and influenza B tended to be detected in older patients (p = 0.024). The most common symptoms in pediatric patients were fever and cough.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is obvious that to protect against circulating influenza viruses, the risk-based strategy of annual influenza immunization should target school-aged children and children with underlying conditions, especially neurological and pulmonary diseases.
authors.forename: Selda Hançerli
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Törün
authors.forename: Esin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karakılıç
authors.forename: Hacer
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aktürk
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sütçü
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uysalol
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cıplak
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Badur
authors.forename: Nuran
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salman
authors.forename: Ayper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Somer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007223:Infant; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: influenza virus - children - clinical characteristics.