Clinical and Epidemiologic Characteristics of Hospitalized Patients with 2009 H1N1 Influenza Infection

Objective. 2009 H1N1 virus is a new virus that was firstly detected in April 2009. This virus spreads from human to human and causes a worldwide disease. This paper aimed to review the clinical and epidemiological properties of patients with 2009 H1N1 influenza who were hospitalized and monitored at Eskisehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine Hospital. Setting. A 1000-bed teaching hospital in Eskisehir, Turkey. Patients-Methods. Between 05 November 2009–01 February 2010, 106 patients with 2009 H1N1 influenza, who were hospitalized, were prospectively evaluated. Results. Out of 106 patients who were hospitalized and monitored, 99 (93.4%) had fever, 86 (81.1%) had cough, 48 (45.3%) had shortness of breath, 47 (44.3%) had sore throat, 38 (35.8%) had body pain, 30 (28.3%) had rhinorrhea, 17 (16%) had vomiting, 15 (14.2%) had headache, and 14 (13.2%) had diarrhea. When the patients were examined in terms of risk factors for severe disease, 83 (78.3%) patients had at least one risk factor. During clinical monitoring, pneumonia was the most frequent complication with a rate of 66%. While 47.2% of the patients were monitored in intensive care unit, 34% of them required mechanical ventilation support. Conclusion. Patients with 2009 H1N1 influenza, who were hospitalized and monitored, should be carefully monitored and treated.