National retrospective cohort study to identify age-specific fatality risks of comorbidities among hospitalised patients with influenza-like illness in Taiwan
Journal
BMJ Open
Journal Volume
9
Journal Issue
6
Date Issued
2019-06-01
Author(s)
Abstract
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. Objectives This study aimed to examine comprehensively the prognostic impact of underlying comorbidities among hospitalised patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) in different age groups and provide recommendations targeting the vulnerable patients. Setting and participants A retrospective cohort of 83 227 hospitalised cases with ILI were identified from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from January 2005 to December 2010. Cases were stratified into three different age groups: paediatric (0-17 years), adult (18-64 years) and elderly (a ‰65 years), and their age, sex, comorbidity and past healthcare utilisation were analysed for ILI-associated fatality. Main outcome measures ORs for ILI-related fatality in different age groups were performed using multivariable analyses with generalised estimating equation models and adjusted by age, sex and underlying comorbidities. Results Hospitalised ILI-related fatality significantly increased with comorbidities of cancer with metastasis (adjusted OR (aOR)=3.49, 95% CI: 3.16 to 3.86), haematological malignancy (aOR=3.02, 95% CI: 2.43 to 3.74), cancer without metastasis (aOR=1.72, 95% CI: 1.54 to 1.91), cerebrovascular (aOR=1.24, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.33) and heart diseases (aOR=1.19, 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.27) for all age groups. Adult patients with AIDS; adult and elderly patients with chronic kidney disease, tuberculosis and diabetes were significantly associated with elevated risk of death. Severe liver diseases and hypothyroidism among elderly, and dementia/epilepsy among elderly and paediatrics were distinctively associated with likelihood of ILI-related fatality. Conclusions Different age-specific comorbidities were associated with increasing risk of death among hospitalised ILI patients. These findings may help update guidelines for influenza vaccination and other prevention strategies in high-risk groups for minimising worldwide ILI-related deaths.
Subjects
age | comorbidity | influenza-like illness | prognosis | public health policy
age; comorbidity; influenza-like illness; prognosis; public health policy
SDGs
Other Subjects
acquired immune deficiency syndrome; adolescent; adult; age; aged; Article; asthma; autoimmune disease; cerebrovascular accident; child; chronic kidney failure; chronic obstructive lung disease; cohort analysis; comorbidity; dementia; diabetes mellitus; epilepsy; fatality; female; flu like syndrome; gout; health care utilization; heart disease; hematologic malignancy; hospital patient; human; hyperlipidemia; hypertension; hyperthyroidism; hypothyroidism; infant; liver disease; major clinical study; male; mental disease; metastasis; organ transplantation; peptic ulcer; retrospective study; sex difference; Taiwan; tuberculosis; age; epidemiology; factual database; hospitalization; influenza; middle aged; mortality; newborn; preschool child; prognosis; risk; Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Child; Child, Preschool; Comorbidity; Databases, Factual; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Influenza, Human; Male; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Risk; Taiwan
Type
journal article