Clinical analysis of critically ill patients with H1N1 influenza

To determine the clinical characteristic, main treatment, and prognosis for the sake of more effective treatments for critically ill patients with H1N1 influenza.

Eight critically ill patients with H1N1 influenza in intensive care unit were retrospectively studied, including clinical characteristics, indexex of correlation, and prognosis.

The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score was 19.0+/-7.8. Five patients died, 4 of whom were caused by respiratory failure. The number of platelets in dead patient was lower than that in healing and improved ones(χ²=8.000,P<0.05).All the 4 patients treated with glucocorticoid died, 5 out of the 6 patients received invasive mechanical ventilation rather than noninvasive mechanical ventilation, and 3 of them who complicated barotraumas in the lung died at last.

Critically ill patients with H1N1 influenza have high mortality. Respiratory failure is the main cause of death. Critically ill patients with H1N1 influenza should not be treated with glucocorticoid. Patients who need mechanical ventilation should be treated with invasive mechanical ventilation with low tidal volume and low positive end-expiratory pressure.