Complications of influenza in 272 adult and pediatric patients in a German university hospital during the seasonal epidemic 2017-2018

Background The influenza season 2017-2018 of the northern hemisphere was the highest since 2001 and was caused predominantly by influenza B virus. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients in a university hospital in northern Germany with laboratory-confirmed influenza during the winter season 2017-2018 and analyzed underlying conditions, complications, and outcome. Results A total of 272 cases of influenza were diagnosed: 70 influenza A (25.7%), 201 influenza B (73.9%), and 1 co-infection. Of 182 adults, 145 were hospitalized, 73 developed pneumonia, 11 developed myocardial infarction, two a transient ischemic attack, one a stroke, and one perimyocarditis. Eleven of the 145 hospitalized adult patients (7.6%) died, ten of them because of pneumonia. All of them had preexisting diseases. Pneumonia was associated with a mortality of 13.7%. Underlying cardiac insufficiency was correlated with higher mortality (7/51 with versus 4/126 patients without cardiac insufficiency; p < 0.05). Ninety cases of influenza were diagnosed in 89 children (30 A, 60 B), one child had first influenza B, then influenza A. Twenty-eight children (31%) were hospitalized, 15 children developed one or more complications (lower respiratory tract infections, meningeal irritations, febrile seizures, otitis media, myositis). No child died. Influenza vaccination status was known in 149 adult patients, pneumonia occurred more frequently in non-vaccinated individuals (43/90; 47.8%) than in vaccinated patients (18/59; 30.5%, p < 0.05). Conclusion Patients with influenza should be monitored for secondary pneumonia and myocardial infarction, and vaccination should be enforced especially in patients with coronary heart disease and cardiac insufficiency.

Automated summary

This retrospective analysis examined 272 cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza in a university hospital in northern Germany during the 2017-2018 winter season. The study found that patients with influenza should be monitored for secondary pneumonia and myocardial infarction, and vaccination should be enforced especially in patients with coronary heart disease and cardiac insufficiency.