Risk factors and clinical characteristics of patients with nosocomial influenza A infection

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J Med Virol. 2019 Dec 11. doi: 10.1002/jmv.25652. [Epub ahead of print] Risk factors and clinical characteristics of patients with nosocomial influenza A infection.

Naudion P¹, Lepiller Q², Bouiller K³.
Author information

1 Service de m?decine interne, CHU Jean Minjoz, Besan?on, France. 2 Laboratoire de virologie, CHU Jean Minjoz, Besan?on, France. 3 Service de maladies infectieuses, CHU Jean Minjoz, Besan?on, France.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Influenza is a public health burden, responsible for more than half a million deaths worldwide each year and explosive outbreaks in hospital care units. At present, little is known about clinical characteristics and outcome with nosocomial influenza infection.
OBJECTIVES:

To assess clinical characteristics and outcome between nosocomial and community-acquired influenza in a tertiary care hospital.
STUDY DESIGN:

Retrospective study of hospitalized patients in a French tertiary care hospital from December 1^st 2016 to February 28th 2017 for flu-illness confirmed by RT-PCR.
RESULTS:

Overall, 208 patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza were included; whose 49 nosocomial cases (23.6%). Patients with nosocomial influenza were significantly older (79.1 ?15.5 versus 64.8?31.1 years old, p=0.003), with more rapidly fatal disease (10.2% versus 1.3%, p=0.0032). They had less respiratory failure (8.2% versus 21.4%, p=0.036) but had a longer length of hospitalization (47.3 days vs. 12.9 days p<0.001) than patient with community-acquired influenza. During this influenza outbreak, 19 patients died (9.1%), none of them were vaccinated.
CONCLUSION:

Effective control of outbreaks in hospital facilities is challenging. Hospitalized patients are vulnerable to nosocomial Influenza infections that can increase length of stay and be responsible of death. Surveillance and early warning systems should be encouraged. Vaccination policies in conjunction with isolation measures and better hand hygiene could reduce virus spreading in hospitals. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


KEYWORDS:

Nosocomial; healthcare-associated infection; hospitalized adults; influenza; outbreak

PMID: 31825110 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25652