Clinical spectrum, risk factors, and outcomes of children with laboratory‐confirmed influenza infection managed in a single tertiary hospital: A 6‐year retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Background Influenza is a highly contagious disease that causes severe illness each year. Data in the United Arab Emirates are scarce. Objectives To study the seasonality, morbidity, mortality rate, and comorbidities associated with confirmed influenza infection in a tertiary hospital in Al‐Ain city, UAE. Methods Retrospective study, from 2012 to 2017, of the electronic medical records in Tawam hospital, of children up to 15 years of age with laboratory‐confirmed influenza infection. Results There were 1392 children, with the highest number in 2017 (n = 461, 33%). The incidence peaked between October and March. The infection was more common between 1 and 11 years of age (n = 948, 68%). The overall prevalence of influenza A (n = 1144, 82%) was higher than influenza B (n = 276, 19.8%). One‐third of the patients required admission. The commonest underlying comorbidity was asthma (n = 170, 12%). The two commonest complications were pneumonia (n = 165, 12%) and acute otitis media (n = 82, 6%). Conclusion Our findings serve as a benchmark for comparison with reports from other countries and need to be considered when reviewing the national vaccination program.

The Spectrum of Influenza in Children

“…The frequency of signs and symptoms of influenza that we found largely support the results of previous work, but the frequencies of acute otitis media and pneumonia in this study are lower than the frequencies often reported in the literature [ 2 , 5 , 6 , 28 , 29 ]. This is partially because this study primarily examines non-hospitalized children, a population expected to be less severely ill than children in hospitalized cohorts [ 5–7 ].…”