tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
MONDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Among children hospitalized with the pandemic H1N1 flu last year in California, more than one-fourth ended up in intensive care units or died, California Department of Public Health researchers report.
"While hospitalization for 2009 H1N1 influenza in children appeared to occur at similar rates as with seasonal influenza, this study provides further evidence that children, especially those with high-risk conditions, can be very ill with H1N1," said lead researcher Dr. Janice K. Louie.
"Fortunately, not many children died. Those that did had many underlying conditions. Antiviral medication given early seems to have lessened the chance of severe illness," she added.
Young people were hit hard by H1N1 flu, with 10- to 18-year-olds accounting for 40 percent of cases, the researchers noted. This was most likely due to a lack of immunity, which older people acquired through repeated flu vaccinations of different strains of H1N1 or exposure to other H1N1 strains, the experts pointed out.
Flu experts don't anticipate the H1N1 flu will pose a serious threat in the 2010-2011 flu season, but the study authors say doctors should promptly treat children with underlying risk factors, especially infants, who get the flu.
"My feeling is that we are over the hump," said Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at New York University in New York City. "I am expecting this to be part of the seasonal flu this year, unless it mutates," he said.
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http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_105029.html
"While hospitalization for 2009 H1N1 influenza in children appeared to occur at similar rates as with seasonal influenza, this study provides further evidence that children, especially those with high-risk conditions, can be very ill with H1N1," said lead researcher Dr. Janice K. Louie.
"Fortunately, not many children died. Those that did had many underlying conditions. Antiviral medication given early seems to have lessened the chance of severe illness," she added.
Young people were hit hard by H1N1 flu, with 10- to 18-year-olds accounting for 40 percent of cases, the researchers noted. This was most likely due to a lack of immunity, which older people acquired through repeated flu vaccinations of different strains of H1N1 or exposure to other H1N1 strains, the experts pointed out.
Flu experts don't anticipate the H1N1 flu will pose a serious threat in the 2010-2011 flu season, but the study authors say doctors should promptly treat children with underlying risk factors, especially infants, who get the flu.
"My feeling is that we are over the hump," said Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at New York University in New York City. "I am expecting this to be part of the seasonal flu this year, unless it mutates," he said.
...
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_105029.html