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Excess
Mortality Due to Pneumonia or Influenza During Influenza A\Seasons
Among Persons with Acquired immunodeficiency Syndrome [Lin JC,
et al. Arch Intern Med 2001;161:441]: The
authors analyze the Multiple Cause-of-Death data files from the
National Center for Health Statistics, which provides detailed information
on approximately 2.2 million deaths in the U.S. each year. Deaths
were attributed to pneumonia or influenza by ICD-9 code (codes 480
- 487), and patients were classified as having AIDS by the ICD-9
code as well. Analysis was done for influenza seasons for 1991-92,
1992-93, and 1993-94. The results are shown in the following table
for persons with AIDS, the general population, and the general population
restricted to persons >65 years.
|
Death
Rates Attributed to Pneumonia or Influenza
(Rate/season/10,000 population - U.S.)
|
| |
1991-92
|
1992-93
|
1993-94
|
| AIDS |
19.7
|
15.4
|
10.2
|
| General
population |
1.4
|
1.6
|
1.5
|
| General
population >65 years |
8.1
|
9.3
|
8.5
|
Comment: Pneumonia and influenza continue to be the major
causes of death in persons with HIV infection. The great majority
is enigmatic in terms of etiology. PCP remains the major identifiable
cause of death in AIDS patients. The paper summarized above clearly
shows that patients with HIV infection are highly vulnerable to
pneumonia, presumably bacterial pneumonia, and influenza. In fact,
the rates are about 10 times the rate for the general population
and about two-times the rate for persons >65 years, who represent
the highest priority for influenza vaccine. These data are restricted
to the pre-PI era.
posted
2/22/2001

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