Tuberc Respir Dis.  2011 Apr;70(4):285-292.

Influenza Associated Pneumonia

• Kim JY

Abstract

After an outbreak of H1N1 influenza A virus infection in Mexico in late March 2009, the World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert level to phase 6, and to the highest level in June 2009. The pandemic H1N1/A influenza was caused by an H1N1 influenza A virus that represents a quadruple reassortment of two swine strains, one human strain, and one avian strain of influenza. After the first case report of H1N1/A infection in early May 2009, South Korea was overwhelmed by this new kind of influenza H1N1/A pandemic, which resulted in a total of 700,000 formally reported cases and 252 deaths. In this article, clinical characteristics of victims of H1N1/A influenza infection, especially those who developed pneumonia and those who were cared for in the intensive care unit, are described. In addition, guidelines for the treatment of H1N1/A influenza virus infection victims in the ICU, which was suggested by the Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine, are introduced.

Keyword

Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; Pneumonia; Intensive Care Units

MeSH Terms

Critical Care
Humans
Influenza A virus
Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype
Influenza, Human
Intensive Care Units
Mexico
Orthomyxoviridae
Pandemics
Pneumonia
Republic of Korea
Sprains and Strains
Swine
World Health Organization