Clinical spectrum of swine flu pandemic [2009] in general pediatric population

ABSTRACT

This study is performed to analyze the clinical spectrum of proved H1N1 influenza in pediatrics population admitted to a tertiary hospital in Kuwait during the pandemic of H1N1 A retrospective analysis was performed to study the spectrum of pandemic pediatric H1N1 infection in children admitted to Al-Jahra hospital in Kuwait. Children who had acute febrile illness with flu like symptoms and admitted during the period from July 2009 to December 2009 were screened for H1N1. H1N1 infection was confirmed by RT-PCR technique performed on nasopharyngeal swab from suspected patients. The age, mode of presentation, symptoms, complications including Intensive care admissions and length of hospital stay were analyzed. A total of 112 proved H1N1 cases were analyzed. Mean age of patients was 4.6years and 20 cases [17%] were less than 1 year of age and the youngest patient being an 18 days old neonate. 59% of patients were males and 41% females. 38% of cases had pre existing medical illness most common being bronchial asthma. Most common presentation was with fever [98%] followed by cough [80%] and rhinorrhea, and 90% cases met the criteria for flu like illness. Bronchopneumonia was the most common diagnosis [45%]. 41% of cases showed lymphopenia 16% of cases had neurological symptoms and 12% of cases had gastrointestinal symptoms and raised liver enzymes. There were 4 intensive care admissions, 3 cases required mechanical ventilation and one progressed to ARDS. There was no mortality. The average length of hospital stay was 5 days