Volume 26, Number 2—February 2020
CME ACTIVITY - Research
Characteristics of Patients with Acute Flaccid Myelitis, United States, 2015–2018
Nilay McLaren, Adriana Lopez, Sarah Kidd, John X. Zhang, W. Allan Nix, Ruth Link-Gelles, Adria Lee, and Janell A. Routh
Table 2
Descriptive characteristics of confirmed AFM cases in patients <22 years of age from peak months versus nonpeak months, United States, January 2015–December 2018*
| Characteristic | All peak months, n = 268† | All nonpeak months, n = 148‡ | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y, median (range) [IQR] |
5.2 (0.5–21.9) [3.3–7.8] |
5.7 (0.3−21.9) [3.2–10.6] |
0.18 |
| Sex | |||
| M | 159/268 (59) | 90/148 (61) | 0.83 |
| F |
109/268 (41) |
58/148 (39) |
0.83 |
| Lumbar puncture | 251/267 (94) | 140/145 (97) | 0.35 |
| Pleocytosis§ | 212/239 (89) | 99/136 (73) | <0.001 |
| CSF, cells/mm3, median (range) [IQR] | 88 (0–814) [30–154] | 44 (0–3,261) [4–118] | <0.001 |
| Upper extremity involvement only | 95/268 (35) | 34/148 (23) | 0.01 |
| Lower extremity involvement only | 29/268 (11) | 36/148 (24) | 0.001 |
| Paralysis of all 4 limbs | 67/268 (25) | 58/148 (39) | 0.004 |
| Severe AFM¶ | 5/268 (2) | 13/148 (9) | 0.002 |
| Cranial nerve lesion |
72/268 (27) |
34/148 (23) |
0.41 |
| Illness within previous 4 weeks | |||
| Any fever | 201/262 (77) | 84/145 (58) | <0.001 |
| Any respiratory illness | 214/264 (81) | 89/145 (61) | <0.001 |
| Any gastrointestinal illness | 80/256 (31) | 43/122 (35) | 0.46 |
| Any respiratory illness or fever |
246/268 (92) |
113/148 (76) |
<0.001 |
| Enterovirus/rhinovirus RNA positive | 73/192 (38) | 30/97 (31) | 0.25 |
| Enterovirus D68 | 42/73 (58) | 11/30 (37) | 0.08 |
| Enterovirus A71 | 6/73 (8) | 8/30 (27) | 0.02 |
*Values are no./total (%), except where indicated otherwise. AFM, acute flaccid myelitis; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; IQR, interquartile range.
†August–October of 2016 and 2018.
‡January–July and November–December of 2016 and 2018, January–December of 2015 and 2017.
§Defined as leukocyte count >5 cells/mm3.
¶Defined as AFM cases of respiratory distress that required mechanical ventilation, cranial nerve involvement, and paralysis of all 4 limbs.
Page created: January 15, 2020
Page updated: January 15, 2020
Page reviewed: January 15, 2020
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.