The Clinical Characteristics And Prognosis Of H7N9 Avian Influenza Patients

PART I:The Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of 18 H7N9 PatientsPurpose:To provide prognosis of an 18 patient cohort who were confirmed to have H7N9 lung infection in Shanghai.Methods:Patients’ history, clinical manifestation and treatment strategy were followed and recorded for data analysis.Results:A total of 18 patients had been admitted into Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center from April 8th to July 29,2013.22.2% of the patients were found to have live poultry contact history and 80% were aged male patients with multiple co-morbidities including diabetes, hypertension and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This group of patients was admitted to the clinical center around 10 days after disease onset.Conclusions:H7N9 infection induced pneumonia of different severity ranging from mild to severe pneumonia or acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome to multiple organ failure.PART Ⅱ:Analysis of the Laboratory Examinations of 18 H7N9 PatientsPurpose:To provide prognosis of an 18 patient cohort who were confirmed to have H7N9 lung infection in Shanghai.Methods:Patients’ laboratory tests and clinical outcomes were followed and recorded for data analysis.Results:According to laboratory examinations of 18 H7N9 patients, increased C reactive protein (CRP), Procalcitonin (PCT), Plasma thromboplastin antecedent(PTA) and virus positive time (days) were indicative of patients’ mortality. After multivariate analysis, only CRP level showed significant prediction of mortality (P=0.013) while results of (prothrombin time) PT analysis almost reached statistical significance (P=0.056).Conclusions:Certain laboratory parameters such as plasma CRP, PCT, PTA and virus positive days predicted mortality of H7N9 infection and plasma CRP is an independent predictor of mortality in these patients.