Damon S. Dhillon (Canada)
BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute Vaccine Evaluation CenterPresenter of 1 Presentation
HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE CLINICAL FEATURES AND OUTCOMES IN CHILDREN IN CANADA, 2007 TO 2018 (ID 292)
Abstract
Background
Routine vaccination against H. influenzae type b (Hib) has dramatically reduced Hib disease burden worldwide. There has been a rise in invasive serotype a (Hia) disease in children, particularly of Indigenous ethnicity. The aim of this study was to describe the age-specific epidemiology of invasive childhood H. influenzae disease in Canada during 2007-2018.
Methods
National data on clinical features and outcomes of children with invasive H. influenzae disease are captured by the Canadian Immunization Monitoring Program, ACTive (IMPACT). Patients aged ≤16 years treated as outpatients or admitted to 12 pediatric tertiary-care hospitals across Canada between 2007-2018 with laboratory-confirmed invasive H. influenzae disease were included. Data were collected using standardized case report forms and isolates were tested at the national referral laboratory.
Results
Overall 528 children were identified and 504 (96%) were hospitalized. Median age was 1.2 years (interquartile range [IQR],0.6-4.0); 236 children (45%) were <1 year old. Overall, meningitis was the most common disease manifestation (n=183, 35%), followed by pneumonia (n=167, 32%) and bacteremia (n=95, 18%). Median length-of-stay amongst hospitalized children was 14 days (IQR,6-17). ICU admission was required for 184 children (35%); median ICU length-of-stay was 5 days (IQR,2-11). Death occurred in 25 children (5%). Among those with known ethnicity, 150/326 (46%) were Indigenous; of whom 85/150 (57%) had Hia disease.
Conclusions
Invasive H. influenzae disease continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality, particularly among Indigenous populations across Canada. Strategies to improve prevention and treatment of these infections are required.