Neurological complications associated to Influenza virus infection

Abstract

Objectives. To review neurological complications due to influenza virus and clinical-epidemiological characteristics. Material and methods. Descriptive, observational, retrospective study by reviewing clinical records of children admitted with neurological complications due to influenza virus between January 2013-February 2019. Results. Fourteen patients were included (11 males), 85.7% with infection by Influenza A. Median age was 2 years (3 months-11 years). They had neurological history 3 (febrile seizures). The 64.3% associated fever, with a mean duration of 2.15±2.3 days. Neurological symptoms occurred on the first day of fever in 7 patients. The neurological clinic was: seizure (11/14): 8 febrile and 3 afebrile, encephalopathy (1), headache (1) and meningism (1). As for febrile seizures, the median age was 3 years. Four were older than 6 years old. In 75% the febrile seizure occurred on the first day of fever and in 5 they recurred within 24 hours. Influenza A was isolated in 82% of patients with seizures. Six patients were treated with oseltamivir. None of them presented sequelae. Conclusions. In our sample, the most frequent virus was the Influenza A virus, producing most of the neurological complications, especially in school-age males. The most frequent complication was the seizure, mostly febrile seizures; although up to 28% presented at an atypical age. As in other series, the Influenza virus can be associated to serious complications such as rhombencephalitis. In most of the patients, the complementary exams were normal.