Influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) en niños estudiados en elInstituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias.

In March, 2009, the report of patients with influenza by a virus with a genetic combination that had never been identified, was seen to be on the increase in Mexico. H1N1 Influenza A virus of swine origin, was a new epidemic. Three months after the epidemiologic alert declared by the Mexican government, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 6,225 confirmed cases in 73 countries. This event prompted the WHO to declare a pandemia on June 11th. We did a retrospective study of the clinical files of 36 children with a confirmed result of H1N1 influenza A from March to November 2009 at the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias (INER). The age of the patients ranged from 9 months to 14 years.16.7% of them had history of exposure to H1N1 influenza A; 33% had been vaccined against seasonal influenza for 2008 to 2009. Patients presented with cough (100%), fever (83%), respiratory distress (83%), rhinorrhea (69.5%). Relevant laboratory findings were: leukopenia (44%), lymphocytopenia (88%), monocytosis (55), elevated lactic dehydrogenase (91%); and creatininephosphokinase (56%). Three patients died. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]