It is rare for clinicians to screen pediatric flu patients for neurologic complications. However, children ages 5 and younger with underlying neurologic conditions have an incidence rate nearly 50 times greater than those without neurologic conditions, according to research published Feb. 12 in Academic Pediatrics.
These neurologic events include seizures, meningitis, altered mental status, encephalitis or encephalopathy, and ataxia and movement disorders.
Many health agencies have released public health advisories about increased serious neurologic complications in children related to influenza this season, according to James Antoon, MD, PhD. Dr. Antoon is one of the study authors and a pediatric professor at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
“Specifically, necrotizing encephalitis and encephalopathy appear to be reported at higher rates this flu season compared to previous years,” he said in a Feb. 13 news release from Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Influenza is at an all-time high this season, even outpacing the 2009 to 2010 H1N1 pandemic season.
Read more here about the study, which looked retrospectively at 70,258 children less than 5 years old enrolled in a Tennessee Medicaid program during the 2016 to 2020 influenza seasons.