Clinical aspects of influenza A (H1N1) in HIV-infected individuals in São Paulo during the pandemic of 2009

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical aspects of H1N1 among HIV coinfected patients seen at a reference center for AIDS treatment in São Paulo, Brazil. DESIGN: Observational and prospective cohort study. METHODS: Descriptive study of clinical and laboratory investigation of HIV-infected patients with confirmed diagnosis of influenza A (H1N1) in 2009. We analyzed patients monitored in CRT/DST/AIDS, a specialized service for people living with HIV, located in São Paulo, Brazil. RESULTS: 108 individuals presented with symptoms of H1N1 infection at the CRT DST/AIDS in 2009. Eighteen patients (16.7%) had confirmation of the diagnosis of influenza A. Among the confirmed cases, ten (55.6%) were hospitalized and eight (44.4%) were outpatients. Dyspnea was present in nine patients (50%), hemoptysis in three (16%). Six patients (60%) required therapy with supplemental oxygen. All patients had good clinical outcomes and none died. CONCLUSIONS: In our hospital, the symptoms that led patients to seek medical care were similar to the common flu. Hospital admission and the early introduction of antibiotics associated with oseltamivir may have been the cause of the favorable outcome of our cases.