Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Pandemic Influenzae A/(H1N1) in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients at a University Hospital, Istanbul

Objective: The aim was to describe the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of patients who were admitted to the Pediatric Infection Department in Istanbul due to Influenzae A. Material and Methods: Details of the 58 patients who were hospitalized were recorded. Influenzae A (H1N1)v infection was confirmed in specimens using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT PCR) assay. Results: Twenty five patients (43%) were female, 33 (57%) were male and the median age was 5.2±2.1. 45 patients with pneumonia, 9 patients with asthma attacks, one patient with status epilepticus, one patient with hepatitis and two patients in risk groups with dehydration were admitted to hospital. Nine patients required mechanical ventilation due to hypoxemia. Twenty five (43%) were previously healthy and 96% of them developed pneumonia. Previously healthy children required mechanical ventilation and oxygen therapy more often than patients with chronic disease. Pneumonic infiltrations were predominantly basal and bilateral with patchy alveolar opacities. The most frequently determined laboratory anomalies were elevated C-reactive protein (57%) and lymphopenia (29%). Elevated CRP was a common finding in patients with respiratory distress.Conclusions: Our study showed that pandemic influenzae infection could have a severe progress in previously healthy children as well as in children with chronic illness.