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Severe cases of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in children, Germany

Mathias Altmann1, Lena Fiebig, Jana Soyka

  • 1Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Respiratory Infections Unit, Robert Koch Institute, Postfach 65 02 61, 13302 Berlin, Germany. altmannm@rki.de

Emerging Infectious Diseases
|February 5, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Critically ill children with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 often had underlying conditions, particularly neurodevelopmental disorders. Vaccination was associated with survival, highlighting the need for improved prevention strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric critical care medicine
  • Infectious diseases epidemiology
  • Public health

Background:

  • Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 posed a significant threat to child health.
  • Identifying risk factors for severe outcomes in children is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate risk factors and outcomes for children admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) due to pandemic (H1N1) 2009.
  • To assess the impact of underlying conditions and vaccination status on mortality.

Main Methods:

  • Hospital-based observational study in Germany.
  • Inclusion of 93 children admitted to PICUs with confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009.
  • Analysis of demographic data, underlying medical conditions, and outcomes, including mortality.

Main Results:

  • Seventy-five percent of children had chronic medical conditions, with neurodevelopmental disorders being most common (57%).
  • Risk factors increased with age (OR 1.21, p=0.007).
  • The case-fatality rate was 12% (11 deaths), with 9% of children vaccinated, all of whom survived.

Conclusions:

  • Underlying risk factors, especially neurodevelopmental disorders, are critical in severe pandemic (H1N1) 2009 cases.
  • Improving preventive measures, including vaccination, is essential to reduce severe disease and mortality in children.
  • Targeted strategies are needed for high-risk pediatric populations.

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