Clinical characteristics of patients hospitalized with severe respiratory illness during influenza seasons in the cities of Bogota and Manizales, Colombia. 2000 - 2006.

Objective Identifying clinical factors associated with respiratory tract diseases during human infl uenza circulation seasons in children aged less than two years old and adults aged over 65 years in two hospitals in the cities of Manizales and Bogota, Colombia.

Methods A retrospective case study in patients hospitalized with acute respiratory illness was carried out during infl uenza circulation seasons from 2000 to 2006 in Bogota and Manizales. Complication frequency was studied, including death, and its relationship with baseline diseases.

Results 535 children under two years of age and 288 adults over 65 years old were studied. 38.9 % of the children and 27 % of the adults had at least one complication.

The presence of underlying disease in children was associated with complications such as hospital death (OR=16.5; 4.7-57.7 95%CI), being admitted to an intensive care unit (OR=6.3; 3.5-11.3 95%CI), respiratory distress needing FIO2> 40 % (OR=2.4; 1.6-3.7 95 %CI), mechanical ventilation (OR=2.4; 1.6-3.7 95 %CI) and multilobar pneumonia (OR=2.1; 1.3-3.4 95 %CI). This association remained after adjusting for confounding factors such as age and socioeconomic status, whilst such relationship was not observed in older adults. Conclusion Children with underlying chronic diseases were more susceptible to clinical complications during infl uenza seasons. Those under 6 months of age were particularly prone to dying or being admitted to an ICU. These results suggested that vaccination policies need to be adjusted.

Objective: To identify clinical factors associated with severe respiratory disease during seasons of circulation of influenza in children under two years and adults over 65 years in two hospitals in the cities of Manizales and Bogota, Colombia.

Methods: Was carried out a retrospective cases study in patients hospitalized with acute respiratory illness during circulation seasons of influenza virus from 2000 to 2006 in Bogota and Manizales. We studied the frequency of complications, including death, and their relationship with baseline diseases.

 Results: We studied 535 children under two years and 288 adults over 65 years. 38.9% of children and 27% of adults had at least one complication. In children, the presence of underlying disease was associated with complications such as hospital death (OR = 16.5 CI 95% 4.73-57.68), admission to intensive care unit (OR = 6, 33 95% 3.51-11.3), respiratory distress needing FIO2> 40% (OR = 2.41 CI 95% 1.57-3.69), use of mechanical ventilation (OR = 2.41 95% CI 1.57-3.69) and multilobar pneumonia (OR = 2.14 IC 95% 1.35-3.39). This association remained after adjusting for confounding factors such as age and socioeconomic status. In older adults those relations were not observed.

 Conclusion: Vaccination against influenza  in children with underlying diseases and in over 65 years could decrease the frequency of deaths and hospitalary complications during circulating seasons of a tropical country.