• FluTrackers.com Inc. does not provide medical advice. Information on this web site is collected from various internet resources, and the FluTrackers board of directors makes no warranty to the safety, efficacy, correctness or completeness of the information posted on this site by any author or poster. The information collated here is for instructional and/or discussion purposes only and is NOT intended to diagnose or treat any disease, illness, or other medical condition. Every individual reader or poster should seek advice from their personal physician/healthcare practitioner before considering or using any interventions that are discussed on this website. By continuing to access this website you agree to consult your personal physican before using any interventions posted on this website, and you agree to hold harmless FluTrackers.com Inc., the board of directors, the members, and all authors and posters for any effects from use of any medication, supplement, vitamin or other substance, device, intervention, etc. mentioned in posts on this website, or other internet venues referenced in posts on this website.
  • We are not asking for any donations. Do not donate to any entity who says they are raising funds for us.

Comparison of Pandemic and Seasonal Influenza in the Pediatric Emergency Department

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2011 Feb 1. [Epub ahead of print]
Comparison of Pandemic and Seasonal Influenza in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

Aguirre E, Papenburg J, Ouakki M, Fontela PS, Guimont C, Serres GD, Boivin G.

From the *Centre de Recherche en P?diatrie du CHUL (CHUQ), Quebec, Canada; ?Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie du CHUL (CHUQ), Quebec, Canada; ?Institut National de Sant? Publique du Qu?bec, Quebec, Canada; and ?Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Emergency department (ED) presentation of pediatric pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) infection is not well characterized. Our objective was to describe the clinical manifestations of pH1N1 in the pediatric ED. We also compared these characteristics to seasonal influenza A, and explored risk factors for pH1N1 hospitalization.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a pediatric hospital in Quebec City, Canada. Subjects were ED patients aged 0 to 17 years with laboratory-confirmed pH1N1 (April-July 2009) or seasonal influenza A (June 2006-March 2009). Clinical and laboratory data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate log-binomial regression.

RESULTS: A total of 127 pH1N1 cases and 110 seasonal influenza cases were identified. pH1N1 patients were older (9.5 vs. 5.6 years; P < 0.0001) and presented more rapidly (2.8 vs. 3.5 days; P = 0.02). Clinical manifestations were similar, although gastrointestinal findings were less frequent in pH1N1 (relative risk [RR]: 0.49; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.37-0.65). Hospitalization risk was similar (RR: 1.12; 95% CI: 0.81-1.55), but hospitalized pH1N1 subjects were more frequently diagnosed with pneumonia (RR: 2.41; 95% CI: 1.16-5.00). In a multivariable model, age <2 years was independently associated with pH1N1 hospitalization (RR: 3.17; 95% CI: 1.78-5.65), whereas the absence of significant comorbidities decreased its risk (RR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.31-0.85).

CONCLUSIONS: After adjustment for age and delay to presentation, clinical manifestations and 21-day outcomes of pediatric pH1N1 were similar to those of seasonal influenza. pH1N1 patients with previously established risk factors for severe seasonal influenza experienced increased hospitalization risk. Our results suggest that pH1N1 clinical diagnosis and management in the pediatric ED can be performed in a manner similar to seasonal influenza.

PMID: 21289529 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21289529
 
Back
Top Bottom