[Influenza: incidence and costs of inpatient treatment]

In Austria, in 1990, a total of 3,808 patients with influenza were hospitalized for treatment (49.34/100,000). The age-specific incidence rates show three peaks: < 5 years (132.05/100,000), adolescents (15 to 19-year-olds, 111.5/100,000), old-age groups (85-year-olds, 102.7/100,000). Complications occurred in 1,479 (38.8%) patients, including 846 cases (57.2%) with "other complications" of the respiratory tract, 365 cases (24.7%) of pneumonia, and 268 cases (18.1%) with manifestations affecting other organs. The 3.808 patients spent a total of 34,684 days in hospital. The overall costs of hospital treatment were some 104 million Austrian schillings (approx. 15 million German marks)--per patient on average 26,700 schillings (approx. 3,840 marks); per pneumonia patient 61,200 schillings (approx. 8,743 marks).