Male predominance of pneumonia and hospitalization in pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 infection
2011

Male Predominance in H1N1 Pneumonia and Hospitalization

Sample size: 3402 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Choi Won-Il, Rho Byung Hak, Lee Mi-Young

Primary Institution: Dongsan Hospital, Keimyung University School of Medicine

Hypothesis

The study aimed to describe the age and gender differences in pandemic influenza A (H1N1) cases that lead to pneumonia, hospitalization, or ICU admission.

Conclusion

Males had a significantly higher rate of pneumonia and hospital admission, especially in those aged 50 years and older.

Supporting Evidence

  • 6% of H1N1 patients required hospitalization.
  • 68.8% of pneumonia patients were male.
  • 70.8% of ICU admissions were male.
  • The overall fatality rate was 0.1%.

Takeaway

This study found that more men than women got very sick from the H1N1 flu, especially older men.

Methodology

Data were collected retrospectively from patients diagnosed with H1N1 confirmed by RT-PCR between May and December 2009.

Potential Biases

Potential biases in data collection and patient selection may exist.

Limitations

The study was limited to a single hospital and may not represent broader populations.

Participant Demographics

Among the 3402 cases, 1812 were male and 1590 were female, with a median age of 14 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

< 0.001

Confidence Interval

95% CI, 5.3-6.9

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1756-0500-4-351

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