Abstract
Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness and can lead to hospitalization and even death. Understanding how comorbidities affect the severity of influenza can help clinical management. The aim of this study is to offer more information about comorbidities that might be associated with the severity of influenza in children. We used a statewide network in Rhode Island, USA, to extract data for laboratory-confirmed influenza cases among children 19 years old or younger. We identified 1169 lab-confirmed influenza cases. The most common comorbidities were asthma (17.1%), neurodevelopmental disorders (10.3%), gastrointestinal disorders (7.6%), atopic dermatitis (7%), and endocrine and metabolic diseases (6.8%). Interestingly, 80.8% (63 out of 78) of children who had an influenza-related hospital admission had at least one comorbidity, and among hospitalized children with influenza, the most common comorbidities were neurological diseases (28.2%, 22/78), gastrointestinal disorders (25.6%, 20/78), endocrine and metabolic diseases (24.4%, 19/78), and neurodevelopmental disorders (23.1%, 18/78). Children with endocrine or metabolic diseases were 8.23 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital, and children with neurological disorders were 6.35 times more likely to be admitted (OR: 8.23, 95% CI: 4.42–15.32 and OR: 6.35, 95% CI: 3.60–11.24, respectively). In summary, we identified specific comorbidities associated with influenza hospitalization and length of hospital stay, and these groups should be prioritized for public health interventions.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilIn the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that influenza affects between 9 and 45 million people annually, resulting in 140,000–810,000 hospitalizations and 12,000–61,000 deaths yearly [1,2]
Our primary outcome was to identify whether demographic characteristics and specific comorbidities were associated with influenza-related hospital admissions, while our secondary outcome was to assess whether the length of stay (LOS) among children with influenza-related hospital admissions was associated with these variables
We identified 1169 lab-confirmed influenza cases in children between 1 September
Summary
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that influenza affects between 9 and 45 million people (or approximately 10% of the population) annually, resulting in 140,000–810,000 hospitalizations and 12,000–61,000 deaths yearly [1,2]. Since 2010, 7000–26,000 children younger than 5 years old have been hospitalized [2–5]. Influenza can cause respiratory and non-respiratory complications, including cardiovascular complications as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines and clot formation [3]. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the impact of comorbidities on the severity of respiratory infections [3,6]. Influenza vaccination campaigns are an important component of prevention [6], and since both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 are respiratory-borne infections that cause pandemics, it is important to study the impact of comorbidities on the severity of influenza [7]. Influenza vaccination campaigns are an important component of prevention [6], and since both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 are respiratory-borne infections that cause pandemics, it is important to study the impact of comorbidities on the severity of influenza [7]. iations.
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