摘要：This paper reports the clinical features and outcome of all children with a laboratory proven diagnosis of in. uenza A virus infection admitted to a major Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in 2003. Eight of the 22 patients with in. uenza A virus infection (A/Fujian/411/2002-like type) presented with encephalopathy and three of the 22 patients died. This can be compared with 44 admissions and seven (16%) deaths of patients with in. uenza virus admitted in the same PICU in the preceding 15 years. In the present cohort, four (18%) of the 22 patients, including one child who died, should have received in. uenza vaccine according to the current Australian immunisation recommendations. We have no documented evidence that any of the 22 children received in. uenza vaccination. During the 2003 in. uenza season there was an increased number of children admitted to our PICU with in. uenza A infection and an increased number of deaths compared with previous years. In. uenza infection causes signifi cant morbidity and mortality in young children, most of whom are not currently recommended for annual in. uenza vaccination
关键词：In. uenza A; in. uenza immunisation; Paediatric Intensive Care Unit; In. uenza A (H3N2)
