Epidemiology of patients diagnosed with influenza A admitted to the Universitary La Paz Hospital (HULP) in the periods 2009-2010 and 2011-2012

AIM It was to describe the epidemiology characteristics of patients with Influenza A admitted in the periods of 2009-2010 and 2011-2012 PATIENTS/METHOD This descriptive study included all patients diagnosed with influenza A by PCR who were admitted in the Pulmonology service, HULP in July 2009-February 2010 (group 1) and in December 2011-February 2012 (group 2). Data were analyzed using SAS 9.1, using the chi-square test, Fisher exact test, Student t-test and the Mann-Whitney. Confidenciality was mantained. RESULTS We included 121 patients diagnosed with Influenza A, (71% group 1) and (29% group 2) (54% male). The median age: 49.2 + / - 21.8 (15-95) years. 59% had some risk factors: chronic lung (27%), cardiovascular (21.5%), metabolic (16%) and immunodeficiency (15%) diseases. The most common complication was pneumonia (45%), 48% in group 1 and 37% in group 2. 4% required admission to the ICU, (mean days 8.4 + / - 8.3). 97.5% has received oseltamivir for 4.8 days. Comparing the two periods, it was found that there were differences in terms of age and risk factors View this table: Table 1 No differences in others variables were found. 100% were treated with Oseltamivir in Group 1 and 91% in group 2. 4 patients died, all in the period of 2011-2012. CONCLUSIONS Comparing the epidemiological characteristics of patients hospitalized with influenza A in both periods of time, we can say that the seasonal flu affects older patients with more risk factors caused by the H3N2.