The burden and clinical manifestation of hospitalized influenza among different pediatric age‐groups in the tropics

INTRODUCTION: In tropical Singapore, influenza occurs all year-round. This study of influenza-confirmed hospitalized pediatric patients compared clinical characteristics and complications by age-group and differences between influenza A and B. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of pediatric inpatients from January 2013 to December 2014. Patients were grouped into: /=10 years. Complications were classified into neurologic, pulmonary, and other. We also calculated the incidence of hospitalized influenza cases per 100 000 age-related population. RESULTS: There were a total of 1272 patients with a median age of 37 months. The highest hospitalization rates were in the /=10 years old had the highest other complications, ICU/ high-dependency admissions and influenza B Victoria rates. CONCLUSIONS: Infants <6 months had the highest hospitalization rates for influenza. The 6-month to <5-year-age-group had the highest complication rate especially neurologic. Influenza A patients were younger, had higher seizure rates and complications compared to influenza B.