Prevalence, clinical presentations and complications among hospitalized children with influenza pneumonia

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Respiratory Medicine
• Virology

Background:

• Viral respiratory tract infections are a leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations.
• Influenza is a common pathogen, but laboratory confirmation is often lacking in clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of influenza in children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia.
• To identify other common respiratory viruses contributing to pediatric pneumonia.

Main Methods:

• Prospective enrollment of 257 children (1 month-15 years) with community-acquired pneumonia.
• Nasopharyngeal aspirate samples analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or PCR for common respiratory viruses.
• Clinical data including age, co-morbidities, symptoms, and outcomes were collected.

Main Results:

• Respiratory viruses were identified in 127 (49.4%) of children.
• Influenza virus was detected in 32 (12.5%) cases, with 84% of these children under five years old.
• Other prevalent viruses included respiratory syncytial virus (16.3%) and human metapneumovirus (9.3%).
• Common symptoms were fever and cough; asthma was the most frequent co-morbidity.
• Hospitalization averaged 6 days, with 3.1% experiencing respiratory failure and one mortality.

Conclusions:

• Influenza is a significant cause of pneumonia requiring hospitalization in young children, leading to considerable morbidity.
• The findings underscore the importance of laboratory-confirmed influenza diagnosis in pediatric pneumonia cases.
• Early detection and management strategies for influenza-related pneumonia in children are crucial.