Volume 16, Number 7—July 2010
Letter
Rapid Diagnostic Tests and Severity of Illness in Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, Taiwan
Table
Characteristics of 23 hospitalized patients with confirmed (n = 20) and suspected (n = 3) pandemic (H1N1) 2009, Taiwan*
| Characteristic | No mechanical ventilation (n = 8) | Mechanical ventilation |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ECMO (n = 7) | ECMO (n = 8) | ||
| Age, y | |||
| Mean ± SD | 39.9 ± 12.8 | 44.4 ± 19.5 | 34.6 ± 15.0 |
| >65, no. (%) | 0 | 1 (14.3) | 0 |
| Male sex, no. (%) | 4 (50) | 2 (28.6) | 4 (50) |
| BMI, median (IQR) | 24.2 (21.2–31.3) | 19.4 (17.3–22.6) | 27.6(21.9–33.6) |
| No. (%) with other diseases |
4 (50) |
7 (100) |
3 (37.5)† |
| Highest SOFA score, mean ± SD‡ | 0.89 ± 0.93§ | 9.7 ± 5.6 | 10.5 ± 4.0 |
| SOFA score >4, no. (%) | 0§ | 7 (100) | 8 (100) |
| APACHE II score, mean ± SD¶ | 1. 6 ± 2.5§ | 17 ± 6.9 | 19.6 ± 3.8 |
| APACHE II score >15, no. (%) |
0§ |
5 (71.4) |
8 (100) |
| Secondary bacterial infection | |||
| Streptococcus pneumoniae | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| β-Streptococci, non-A, B, D | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Klebsiella pneumoniae |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Duration from illness onset to first medical access, d, median (IQR) | 2 (1–2.2) | 3 (2.5–3) | 2 (2–3) |
| RDT sensitivity, n/N (%) | 8/8 (100) § | 3/7 (42.9) | 1/8 (12.5) |
| Duration from illness onset to antiviral therapy, d, median (IQR) | 4 (3.8–5.8) | 6 (4.5–6) | 6.5 (5.5–7.2) |
| Duration of ICU stay, d, median (IQR) | 0 (0–2)§ | 15 (11.5–27.5) | 49.5 (22.8–56.2) |
| Length of hospital stay, d, median (IQR) | 5.5 (4–9.2)§ | 27 (21.5–54.2) | 55.5 (30.2–71.2) |
| 28-day mortality rate, no. (%) |
0 |
1 (14.3) |
0 |
| Complications | |||
| Ventilator dependent | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Hemodialysis | 0 | 0 | 1 |
*ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; BMI, body mass index; IQR, interquartile range; SOFA; Sequential Organ Failure Assessment; APACHE, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation; RDT, rapid diagnostic test; ICU, intensive care unit.
†A 49-year-old man who had a renal transplant, a 17-year-old woman with congenital heart disease, and a 64-year-old man with diabetes and hypertension.
‡Range 0–24. Higher values indicate more severe disease.
§p<0.05 for 8 patients without mechanical ventilation vs. 15 patients with mechanical ventilation with and without ECMO support.
¶Range 0–71. Higher values indicate more severe disease.