Table 1.
Demographics and clinical features of children with Influenza and severe neurological complications admitted to the admitted to the Sydney Children's Hospitals network during the 2017 influenza season.
| Characteristic | IAE,an = 11 (%) | SE,bn = 11 (%) | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female sex | 6 (55) | 7 (64) | 1.0 |
| Age (median, range) | 6 (15 months–14 years) | 3 (20 months–12 years) | 0.36 |
| Pre-existing epilepsy | 2 (18) | 6 (55) | 0.18 |
| Received seasonal influenza vaccine | 0 (0) | 1 (9) | – |
| Days between respiratory symptoms and neurological presentation in days (median, range) | 4 (1–21) | 3 (1–14) | 0.663 |
| Seizures | 8 (73) | 11 (100) | 0.21 |
| Status epilepticus | 6 (55) | 11 (100) | 0.04 |
| Influenza A positive (NPAc PCR/serology) | 8 (73) | 10 (91) | 0.59 |
| Influenza B positive (NPAc PCR) | 3 (27) | 1 (9) | 0.59 |
| CSF influenza PCR positive | 1/5 (40) | 0/0 (0) | – |
| CSF pleocytosis (n, %, range) [WCC > 5.0 × 106/L] | 5 (45) [0–242] | 0/3, [0–1] | 0.26 |
| Elevated CSF protein (n, %, range) [0.15–0.45 g/L] | 5 (45), [0.19–7.0] | 0/3 [0.10–1.17] | 0.26 |
| CSF neopterin elevated (n, %) >30 | 8/10 (80)d | 1/1 (100)e | 0.45 |
Note: tests used – Fisher exact for categorical and Mann–Whitney for continuous data points.
a
IAE: influenza related encephalopathy.
b
SE: Status epilepticus.
c
NPA: Nasopharyngeal aspirate.
d
Including one borderline result (33.86 nmol/L).
e
Borderline result (31.75 nmol/L).