Abstract
OBJECTIVE:: To outline a series of cases demonstrating neurologic complications in children with Influenza infection. The ongoing 2009 influenza A (H1N1) presents significant challenges to the field of pediatric critical care and requires increased awareness of new presentations and sequelae of infection. Since World Health Organization declared a H1N1 pandemic, much attention has been focused on its respiratory manifestations of the illness, but limited information regarding neurologic complications has been reported. DESIGN:: Case series. SETTING:: Pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care medical facility. PATIENTS:: Four children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit between March and November 2009 at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh with altered mental status and influenza infection. INTERVENTIONS:: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:: The clinical course was extracted by chart review and is summarized. All children demonstrated a coryzal prodrome, fever, and altered level of consciousness at admission, and one child presented with clinical seizures. Diagnostic studies performed to establish a diagnosis are summarized. All children had abnormal electroencephalograms early in their intensive care unit course and 50% had abnormal imaging studies. All children survived but 50% had neurologic deficits at hospital discharge. CONCLUSION:: We conclude that 2009 influenza A (H1N1) can cause significant acute and residual neurologic sequelae. Clinicians should consider Influenza within a comprehensive differential diagnosis in children with unexplained mental status changes during periods of pandemic influenza.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 179-184 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Pediatric Critical Care Medicine |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2010 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Children
- Encephalopathy/encephalitis
- H1N1
- Influenza A
- Neurologic outcome
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine