Flu infection tied to serious complications in children

A recent study has found that influenza virus infection can lead to serious multisystem complications, such as encephalitis and acute respiratory distress syndrome, among others.

In addition, “influenza A can present with isolated or predominant neurological manifestations, [while] mortality may be more common in influenza B,” the authors said.

This retrospective study involved paediatric patients with confirmed influenza infection who were admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in Istanbul, Turkey, between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2024. The authors obtained data on demographic characteristics, risk factors, clinical presentations, microbiological findings, complications, and outcomes.

One hundred eight children with a laboratory-confirmed influenza infection were admitted to one of the 11 PICUs in Istanbul. Of these, 65 (60.2 percent) had influenza A, and 43 (39.8 percent) had influenza B.

Both influenza types had similar epidemiologic and clinical characteristics, but the influenza A group showed a significantly higher oxygen saturation than the influenza B group. Moreover, children with influenza A were more likely to have severe neurological manifestations, such as seizures and encephalitis, than those with influenza B.

On the other hand, patients with influenza B had a higher incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. They also showed a significantly higher incidence of liver failure, sepsis and/or multiorgan dysfunction, and pneumonia.

Notably, deaths occurred only in the influenza B group, with six children succumbing to the disease, corresponding to a 14-percent mortality rate.

“Influenza is a common cause of hospital admissions worldwide, and an increase in influenza cases has been observed following the COVID-19 pandemic,” the authors said.