Factores de riesgo determinantes para gravedad clínica en la infección por el virus de la influenza en pacientes de 1 mes de edad a 18 años, ingresados en el Hospital Dr. Roberto Gilbert Elizalde durante el periodo abril 2014 a marzo 2024.

Abstract

Introduction: Respiratory infections are a group of diseases with a high incidence throughout life, mostly caused by viruses, with a predominance in pediatric age and a maximum peak in young infants, being one of the first causes of hospitalization in preschool children. In developing countries, they are responsible for generating mortality and one of the main etiological causes is the influenza virus. Some people have an increased risk of serious complications secondary to influenza infection, among which are: being younger than 2 years and suffering from associated diseases (pulmonary, metabolic, etc.). Methods: An observational, retrospective, cross-sectional, and analytical cohort study was conducted. All patients diagnosed with respiratory infection due to influenza who met the inclusion criteria and hospitalized at the Dr. Roberto Gilbert Elizalde Hospital over a 10-year period (April 2014 - March 2024) were included. A descriptive analysis of the study variables was performed, followed by a calculation of the relative risk of each variable in relation to the severity variables defined as the need for a more complex unit, death, and oxygen use. Results: A total of 262 patients were included in the study. It was observed that being an infant with more than two associated comorbidities had up to two times the risk of presenting severity in influenza infections. Children with severe disease presented bacterial and/or fungal coinfection with thrombocytopenia, lymphocytopenia, and elevated procalcitonin levels.