Analysis of Clinical Characteristics in Children and Adult Patients with Influenza A and B

Background. Seasonal influenza of each year with different severity can cause a high infection rate and death rate over the world. Few studies about the comparision of the clinical characteristics between children and adult patients with influenza A and B from China were reported. Objective. Aimed to provide the data of differences in clinical characteristics for influenza infected children and adults. Methods. Baseline characteristics were collected and analyzed. Chi-square test was used to analyze categorical variables in patients with influenza. Results. 1663 influenza cases were included, no significant difference was observed in the gender ratio of children between influenza A and B group (P > 0.05), while less adult male were infected with influenza B (P = 0.038). Children with influenza B showed more occuring frequency in bronchitis and pneumonia when compared to children with influenza A (P < 0.05). Most children had fever and laryngopharyngitis both occurred over 60.8% in influenza A and B group. While fever is the most occurred symptom among adult patients both in influenza A group and influenza B group with a proportion of 80.4% and 74.7% respectively. Conclusions. Fever was the most occured symptoms in children and adult patients with influenza. Children with influenza are more susceptible to occur lower respiratory tract infection (bronchitis and pneumonia) than adult patients did.