Epidemiology and clinical presentation of hospitalized children with influenza A [H1N1] in Kuwait

ABSTRACT

WHO had declared the global pandemic of influenza A [H1N1] in June 2009. The age group mostly reported to be at risk of infection are children and young adults. To review the epidemiological and clinical features of children hospitalized with influenza A[H1N1]. A retrospective view of medical record of children admitted to the department of paediatrics-Amiri Hospital-with diagnosis of influenza A [H1N1] during August-November 2009. Only patients with positive nasopharyngeal swab were included. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected and analyzed. A total of 55 children were admitted with influenza A [H1N1] during the study period. Majority [71%] of the admissions were in October. Females comprised 58% of the studied children. Previously healthy children were 62% of the sample with a mean age of 4 years. The most common presenting symptoms were; fever [100%], cough [83%], runny nose [71%]. Complications were noted in 25 [45%] patients and were as follows Febrile convulsions 9 [36%], neutropenia 7 [28%], Pneumonia 8 [32%], arrhythmia 1 [4%]. Antibiotics were administered to 62% of the children. Patients were admitted for a mean of 5 days. All patients had an uneventful hospitalization except for 3 patients who were transferred to the intensive care unit, and they recovered. Influenza A [H1N1] in children peaked in October 2009 with the dominance of previously healthy children. All children recovered and there was no mortality in our studied group