Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis.  2012 Mar;22(1):78-85.

Clinical Characteristics of 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Pneumonia in Atopic versus Non-atopic Children

• Ju M
• Shin JY
• Lee KH
• Park HJ
• Lee KH
• Choi EJ
• Kim JK
• Kim WT
• Chung HL

Abstract

PURPOSE
Bronchial asthma was reported to be an important risk factor of severe respiratory symptoms due to pandemic H1N1 influenza infection. In this study, we investigated if there was any difference in the clinical features of children with H1N1 pneumonia according to their atopic or asthma status.
METHODS
Eighty-eight children admitted with pneumonia due to reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed H1N1 influenza infection during the period from September 2009 to January 2010 were enrolled. These patients were divided into atopic (n=42) and non-atopic (n=46) groups. The atopic group consisted of 23 asthmatic children and 19 non-asthmatic children with allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of the patients to investigate if there was any difference in the clinical features according to their atopic or asthma status.
RESULTS
There was no age difference between atopic and non-atopic patients. Male preponderance was observed only in the atopic group.(P<0.05) The occurrence of wheezing, severity of respiratory symptoms, and number of emergency-room visits were significantly higher in atopic than non-atopic patients.(P<0.05) However, those variables showed no difference between asthmatic and non-asthmatic patients within the atopic group. Twelve patients in the atopic, non-asthmatic group were followed for 1 year after discharge, and 5 patients were diagnosed to have asthma with recurrence of wheezing and/or positive results to methacholine challenge tests.
CONCLUSION
Our study shows that H1N1 influenza infection may cause more severe respiratory symptoms in atopic patients than in non-atopic patients, regardless of their asthma status. allergic rhinitis.(R=0.195, P=0.002). About 17% of the parents who care the allergic rhinitis children experienced the work absence due to their child's illness.

Keyword

Influenza A (H1N1); Pneumonia; Children

MeSH Terms

Asthma
Child
Dermatitis, Atopic
Humans
Influenza, Human
Male
Medical Records
Methacholine Chloride
Pandemics
Parents
Pneumonia
Recurrence
Respiratory Sounds
Retrospective Studies
Rhinitis
Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial
Risk Factors
Methacholine Chloride

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