Clinical laboratory features of influenza in children with obesity

Objective. To determine the most general patterns of the clinical and laboratory course of seasonal influenza in children with obesity compared with normal weight children. Patients and methods. A retrospective comparative study of 117 medical records of children with influenza admitted from 2016 to 2019 to the Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital was conducted. The study included two groups of children with seasonal influenza: children with obesity (cases, n = 36) and children with normal weight (controls, n = 81). Nasopharyngeal swabs were tested for influenza and other common respiratory pathogens by PCR. A comparative analysis of structure, prevalence and duration of main clinical symptoms and syndromes, occurrence of influenza complications, data of laboratory general, biochemical and instrumental methods of examination in children with and without obesity was carried out. Results. A prevalence of type A influenza virus (H1N1 sw2009) in all children regardless their body weight status was detected. Children with obesity were admitted to the hospital from out-patient department faster (p < 0.005), duration of their hospitalization were longer (p < 0.005). They had higher frequency of pneumonia (p > 0.05), ketoacidosis (p < 0.001). Intravenous maintenance fluid therapy was ordered more often in patients with obesity (p < 0.03). Hematologic factors of blood in children with obesity were defined by significantly higher level of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.0006) and platelet level (p = 0.0032). Conclusion. Obesity is considered as an unfavorable factor which aggravates the course of influenza in children. Higher probability of complications in children with obesity and overweight defines the importance of development of additional approaches to the therapy and prevention of acute respiratory diseases in children. Key words: children, clinical symptoms, influenza, obesity, retrospective study