Influenza in children

Influenza is a pervasive infection with epidemic and pandemic diseases. In the interepidemic period, the incidence is supported by sporadic cases and local outbreaks. In the course of the epidemic / pandemic, natural immunization of the majority of the population occurs and a decrease in the susceptible population, which leads to a rapid decrease in the incidence. The most common diseases are associated with type A virus, type B virus usually causes local outbreaks, and type C virus sporadic cases. Influenza epidemics occur almost every year and are caused by the appearance of new strains of the virus due to antigenic drift. Influenza pandemics are relatively rare, after 10-20 years or more, and are associated with a change in the virus subtype due to antigenic seizure.

ICD-10 code

• J10 Influenza caused by an identified influenza virus.
• J10.0 Influenza with pneumonia, influenza virus identified.
• J10.1 Influenza with other respiratory manifestations, the influenza virus has been identified.
• J10.8 Influenza with other manifestations, the influenza virus has been identified.
• J11.0 Influenza with pneumonia, the virus is not identified.
• J11.1 Influenza with other respiratory manifestations, the virus is not identified.
• J11.8 Influenza with other manifestations, the virus is not identified.
• G 00.0 Influenza meningitis.

Causes

Influenza pathogens are RNA-containing viruses from the family of orthomixoviruses, 80-120 nm in diameter. They have a lipoprotein coat formed by glycoproteins with neuraminidase (N) and hemagglutinin (H). According to the nucleoprotein (NP) and matrix (M) protein, influenza viruses are classified into 3 antigenically independent types A, B and C. Antigenic variants of the glycoproteins H and N are subtyped by the influenza A virus. Currently, 16 hemagglutinin subtypes (HI-H16 ) and 12 subtypes of neuraminidase (N1-N12), virus strains are usually denoted by a short antigenic formula: H1N1, H2N1, H3N2, etc.

What causes the flu?

Classification

There are typical and atypical cases of influenza, among which the following forms are distinguished according to the severity of the symptoms.

• Typical:
  • light;
  • medium-heavy;
  • heavy;
• Atypical:
  • hypertoxic;
  • erased;
  • inapparantnaya.

The severity of the flu is determined by the severity of the intoxication syndrome (hyperthermia), neurologic symptoms (headache, loss of consciousness, convulsions, meningeal symptoms), hemorrhagic syndrome, cardiovascular disorders.

Symptoms

The duration of the incubation period of influenza is from several hours to 2 days with influenza A and up to 3-4 days with influenza B. The disease begins sharply, with the rise in body temperature to high values (39-40 ° C), accompanied by chills, general weakness, , muscular and joint pain. Fever reaches a maximum at the end of the first, less often on the second day of the disease. By this time, all the symptoms of influenza are expressed as much as possible. Children complain of a headache, usually in the temples, forehead, superciliary arches, eyeballs; they lose appetite, worsen sleep, nausea, vomiting, and in severe cases - delirium and hallucinations. Catarrhal phenomena are usually poorly expressed and are represented by coughing, stuffiness and lean mucous discharge from the nose, sore throat, especially when swallowing. In severe cases, possible nasal bleeding, convulsions, short-term loss of consciousness, meningeal symptoms (stiff neck, weakly positive Kernig symptom).

Symptoms of influenza

Diagnostics

Clinically, the flu is diagnosed if patients have a typical form of the disease in an epidemic rise in morbidity.

For laboratory confirmation, an express method is used, which is based on the detection of viral antigens in the epithelium of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract by means of the RIF. The result can be obtained in 3 hours.

Diagnosis of influenza

Treatment

Treatment of children with influenza is carried out mainly at home.

Hospitalization is carried out according to clinical, epidemiological and social indications.

• Clinical indications:
  • severe and hypertoxic forms of influenza;
  • complicated course of influenza (meningitis, encephalitis, pneumonia, etc.);
  • the period of the newborn, regardless of the severity of the disease; Hospitalization of infants is also advisable.
• Epidemiological indications:
  • stay of the child in a closed institution or in an organized collective (an orphanage, a child's home, a health camp, etc.).
• Social indications:
  • lack of opportunity to organize treatment and adequate care in outpatient settings for social, technical or other reasons;
  • the lack of an opportunity to organize a "hospital at home" if necessary in it;
  • antisocial family;
  • homeless and neglected children.

Treatment of influenza

Prevention

Organizational and anti-epidemic measures (exposure prevention) are important for the prevention of influenza:

The leading role in the prevention of influenza is played by vaccination.

The following vaccines against influenza are allowed in Ukraine:

• Grippol (influenza virus-subunit vaccine, Russia);
• Influvac (subunit vaccine, Netherlands);
• Vaxigripp (split vaccine, France);
• Fluorix (split vaccine, England);
• Agrippal S1 (subunit, Germany).

How to prevent the flu?

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