Characteristics of Influenza and Influenza-Like Diseases in Risk Groups - EAP 2019 Congress and MasterCourse Porto Palacio Hotel

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¹Institute of Pediatrics, National Medical Research Center of Children's Health, Russia
²Scientific Department, Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Russia
³Scientific Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
⁴Department of Pediatrics, Smolensk State Medical University, Russia
⁵Department of Pharmacology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Russia
⁶Department of Pharmacology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Russia
⁷Department of Pediatrics, Research Institute of Influenza, Russia

Aim. To identify risk factors (RFs) for the development of bacterial complications and the prolonged course of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections (ARVIs) among inpatients treated in Russian healthcare facilities in the post-pandemic period; to determine the clinical presentation of the disease (flu-like syndrome) in risk-group people and to evaluate the efficacy of antiviral therapy with arbidol (umifenovir).

Methods. The investigators retrospectively analyzed randomly selected medical records of inpatients with influenza and other ARVI in 88 hospitals from 50 regions of the Russian Federation: those of 5287 patients, respectively, by applying parametric and nonparametric statistical methods.

Results. Single-factor analysis of variance revealed factors influencing the course of flu-like syndrome and identified risk groups: children younger than 3 years old and adults over 65, pregnant women, and people with chronic somatic diseases and obesity. The high-risk groups exhibited a more severe course of flu-like syndrome than did the patients outside the risk groups. The incidence of complications was higher, especially in the under 2-year-year-old children and in patients with endocrine, metabolic, or respiratory diseases, with a large proportion of complications being pneumonia. The efficacy of antiviral therapy (umifenovir) was higher in patients with chronic diseases than in patients not at risk. The duration of fever and frequency of complications proved to be lower than those in patients who did not receive antiviral therapy.

Conclusion. The RFs for influenza and ARVI complications are patient`s age (children under 3 years of age and adults older than 65 years), the presence of chronic somatic diseases, and pregnancy. Patients with endocrine, eating, metabolic (including obesity), circulatory, and respiratory disorders are at high risk for influenza and ARVI complications. Umifenovir therapy substantially reduces the duration of fever and risk of complications, especially in patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza infection.