According to an investigation presented at the European Respiratory Society’s Annual Congress in Amsterdam, individuals with asthma who are hospitalized with pandemic influenza H1N1 (swine flu) are half as likely to die or require intensive care compared to individuals without asthma. They discovered that although asthma is one of the most common illnesses observed in individuals admitted to hospital with H1N1, those with asthma didn’t have as severe outcomes in comparison to those without the condition.

Generally, individuals with asthma who have a virus, such as H1N1, are at risk of developing breathing difficulties. When the lungs of an individual with the condition is infected with a virus, mucus and cells move into narrow airways, blocking the free movement of air.

They examined 1,520 people with the H1N1 virus admitted to 75 hospitals across 55 cities and towns throughout the UK. 480 (31%) of individuals examined were aged under 16. Asthma was the most common illness with 385 (25%) of all individuals affected.

Results revealed that although patients with asthma and the virus had more shortness of breath, more need for supplemental oxygen and greater respiratory distress, overall, they were half as likely to die, require high dependency or intensive care in hospital in comparison to those without the condition with the virus.

Even after investigators took into consideration age, presence of other illnesses, and both antiviral and antibiotic use, the connection between asthma and less severe outcomes were observed. The researchers believe that part of the difference is because individuals with asthma who had the virus came to the hospital earlier than other individuals who had the flu. And also because asthma patients who had less severe outcomes were on regular inhaled steroids at the time they were admitted to hospital and received further steroids after hospitalization.

On behalf of the researchers, Dr Malcolm Semple, from the University of Liverpool explained:

“Pandemic influenza can cause severe disease in people of all ages and those with asthma have a particularly high risk of needing hospital admission. Our results are the first to show that people with pandemic influenza and asthma for which they took regular inhaled steroid required less intensive treatment and had a better chance of recovering from H1N1. The prompt admission and appropriate hospital treatment of patients with asthma significantly improved their chance of recovery from pandemic influenza.”

Written by Grace Rattue