Acute Hemorrhagic Colitis Associated with the Use of Oseltamivir / 대한내과학회지

Oseltamivir is a potent selective neuraminidase enzyme inhibitor and effective against nearly all strains of influenza A and B. The importance of treating influenza has been recognized, and oseltamivir has been prescribed frequently at the onset of the H1N1 influenza A pandemic this year. However, oseltamivir can cause hemorrhagic colitis as a rare adverse effect. Until now, only two cases of hemorrhagic colitis following the use of oseltamivir have been reported in Japan, and none have been reported in Korea. We report a case of acute hemorrhagic colitis in a 15-year-old boy after the oral administration of oseltamivir for swine originating influenza A.

Stress-induced Cardiomyopathy Associated with Swine Influenza Infection Which Exacerbated Underlying Emphysema: A Case Report / 대한구급학회지

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SICM) is an acute cardiac condition that causes left ventricular apical ballooning which mimicks acute coronary syndrome. The risk of in-hospital mortality with SICM is generally low (1% to 3%) and supportive care is usually sufficient for resolution. Swine-origin influenza A (H1N1, S-OIV) is a recently spreading pandemic and a serious public health problem. Although most S-OIV infections have a mild, self-limited course, clinical cases resulting in fatalities and associated with variable co-morbidities remain as a serious concern in some individuals. Among such serious complications, there have been few reports of SICM caused by S-OIV infection. We herein report, for the first time in the literature, a case with fatal hemodynamic instability secondary to SICM caused by S-OIV infection with viral pneumonia.

Constrictive Pericarditis Accompanied by Swine-Origin Influenza A (H1N1) Infection

Swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) is caused by a new strain of the influenza virus. The disease has spread rapidly and was declared a pandemic in April, 2009. So far, however, there is a scarcity of information regarding the complications of swine influenza. A report of the disease in the winter of 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere found that the most common manifestations of influenza A virus infection are upper respiratory tract infection and pneumonia. Although there may be an association between fulminant myocarditis and Swine influenza, cardiovascular complications resulting from swine Influenza A infection are exceedingly rare. We report a case of acute constrictive pericarditis in a healthy subject infected by the swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus.

Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Infection in Renal Transplant Recipients / 대한이식학회지

BACKGROUND: Novel H1N1 influenza A was a pandemic disease in 2009. However, limited data are available on renal transplant recipients undergoing long-term immunosuppression who contracted novel H1N1 influenza A. METHODS: We analyzed 2,345 patients who had been tested with H1N1 swab real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test (rRT-PCR) between May 2009 and February 2010. Of them, 30 were kidney recipients who underwent kidney transplantation between April 1979 and 2, May 2009 before the first diagnosis of H1N1 influenza A in Korea. The clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcome of renal transplant recipients with confirmed H1N1 influenza were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 1,543 (66.7%) general patients were swine influenza A confirmed. Of the 30 transplant patients, 19 (63.3%) were confirmed with swine influenza A. The mean age of the general patients at diagnosis of swine influenza A was younger than that of renal recipients (16.5+/-16.1 vs. 39.7+/-11.5 years, P<0.0001). More patients died in the transplant group than in the general patient group even after oseltamivir (Tamiflu) treatment. When comparing the cured group with the dead group of transplant patients, the dead group had a longer duration between symptom manifestation and the beginning of treatment than the cured group (7 [5-7] vs. 2 [1-14] days, P=0.007). The dead group presented more complications such as pneumonia (P=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: H1N1 influenza A can cause severe illness in kidney transplant recipients. We suggest that early diagnosis and treatment with an antiviral agent produces good results in kidney transplant recipients as in the general population.

An update of 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus / 医学研究生学报

Swine influenza A virus belongs to the family of Orthomyxoviridae,which can cause upper respiratory tract infection in swine,avian and human.The influenza A virus that could not be sub-typed was detected from the respiratory tract specimens of patients with influenza-like symptoms in March 2009 in USA and Mexico,followed by identification of a novel swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus (S-OIV),which led to an epidemic outbreak in the above two countries and then spread all over the world,causing quite a few deaths.S-OIV differs from other influenza viruses in genotyping,antigenic characteristics,propagating characteristics,pathogenic characteristics and therapies.