Complications and Image Findings

Avian influenza in human, especially the severe type, progresses rapidly and causes multiple complications, such as acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pulmonary hemorrhage, pleural effusion, pancytopenia, heart failure, renal failure, multiple organ failure, sepsis, shock, and Reye syndrome. The patients often die from severe pulmonary failure. Compared with adults, children suffering from avian influenza progress more rapidly and are more vulnerable to pneumothorax and secondary infection.