Flu: Kills Healthy Kids Faster Than Sick Kids

[angelatc]

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct...n-too-20131028

....children who were in good health before contracting influenza seemed to progress from infection to death more rapidly than children with high-risk medical conditions, the researchers reported in a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

From October 2004 through September 2012, 830 pediatric influenza–associated deaths were reported. The median age was 7 years (interquartile range: 1–12 years). Thirty-five percent of children died before hospital admission. Of 794 children with a known medical history, 43% had no high-risk medical conditions, 33% had neurologic disorders, and 12% had genetic or chromosomal disorders. Children without high-risk medical conditions were more likely to die before hospital admission (relative risk: 1.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.6–2.4) and within 3 days of symptom onset (relative risk: 1.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.3–2.0) than those with high-risk medical conditions.

35% never even made it to the hospital.