Experience of pandemic influenza with H1N1 in children with leukemia

It is not exactly known the risks from infection with pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 in children with leukemia. Here the authors present their experience in 5 children with leukemia. Pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 was detected in 5 patients (F/M: 3/2) at their institution. The ages of these patients were between 2 and 16 years. Four had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 1 acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). Three of the ALL patients had the diagnosis of pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 at the same time as they were diagnosed with ALL. The remaining 2 patients were receiving intensive chemotherapy. All patients had fever, rhinorrhea, and cough. Although bronchopneumonia was seen in 3 patients, only 1 revealed respiratory distress. Stomach ache and diarrhea was seen in the patient who had no pneumonia. All treated as inpatients, but none of them required hospitalization in intensive care unit. One to 3 days after the symptoms of influenza appeared, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) was given to all patients in combination with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Fever declined to normal ranges in 1 to 3 days after treatment was started. The patients received oseltamivir for 5 to 7 days. Cell culture tests were found to be positive for influenza A and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) revealed H1N1 for all 5 patients. Although this is a very small case series, pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 did not seem to be very dangerous for children with leukemia if the oseltamivir treatment was given early when symptoms of influenza appeared.