Almost Half Hospital H1N1 Patients Healthy
October 14, 2009 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Almost half of patients (46%) who are hospitalized because of the H1N1 virus (swine flu) are otherwise healthy adults with no chronic illnesses such as asthma. This study or 1400 adults (and 500 children) goes against a previously release study found in the New England Journal of Medicine earlier this month. This much smaller study (272 
patients) said that 83% of adults and 60% of children had underlying conditions. The second study was done by the Centers of Disease Control (CDC).
Among the adults:
- 26% had asthma
- 8% had another chronic lung disease
- 10% had diabetes
- 8% had weakened immune systems
- 6% were pregnant
Among children, 6% had sickle cell disease or a similar blood condition. More analysis needs to be completed in this population though.
These findings reinforce the idea that it is the younger, healthy adults who are more often affected. However, Canadian records are showing that the deaths to H1N1 are occurring much more frequently among women, so this is another area to be looked at.
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Image: PhotoXpress.com
