Pandemic influenza a (h1n1)‎ 2009 : chest x-ray findings among pregnant women at Queen Alia Military Hospital

Abstract EN

Objectives : Revision of chest radiograph findings in pregnant women with laboratory confirmed influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus infection.

Methods : A total number of 134 patients attended Queen Alia Hospital with suspicion of H1N1 virus infection, 56 cases were confirmed to have Influenza A (H1N1) infection by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction.

These 56 women were admitted to our hospital and form our study population.

Group 1 was formed by patients admitted to intensive care unit and required mechanical ventilation (no.

4 / 56).

Group 2 was formed by the patients with admission to the ward (no.

52 / 56).

All chest X-rays of those patients were evaluated for the pattern (consolidation, ground glass and nodules), distribution and extent of abnormality.

Results : Four patients representing group 1 who were admitted to intensive care unit and needed mechanical ventilation consequently died.

All of them had abnormal initial chest x –ray.

Of those 3 / 4 (75%) had bilateral lung involvement in the form of consolidation with lower zone predominance.

Of the n = 52 admitted patients, n = 39 (75%) had abnormal initial chest X-ray.

Of these, eight patients had bilateral consolidation.

Lower zone predominance was noted in n = 22 patients (56.5%).

None of those patients died.

Conclusion : Chest x-ray was normal in 13 / 56 of patients initially, but rapid deterioration was noted in significant number of patients.

Lower zones were slightly predominant than central zones (25:18) and the predominant pattern of involvement was consolidation.