Study of Clinical Profile and Inflammatory Markers in Children Between 2 Months and 12 Years of Age with Influenza-Like Illness: A Hospital-Based Study

Background: Influenza-like illness (ILI) is a common cause of pediatric outpatient visits and hospital admissions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, differentiation between COVID-19, influenza, and other respiratory illnesses became increasingly important due to similarities in clinical presentation. Assessment of inflammatory biomarkers may assist in evaluating disease severity and predicting outcomes. The aim is to study the clinical profile and inflammatory markers in children aged 2 months to 12 years presenting with influenza-like illness in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics at MGM Hospital, Kamothe, from August 2022 to December 2023. A total of 75 children aged 2 months to 12 years presenting with ILI symptoms were enrolled consecutively after obtaining informed consent. Rapid antigen tests were performed for influenza and COVID-19. Clinical characteristics, laboratory investigations, inflammatory markers, radiological findings, disease severity, and outcomes were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS software. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among 75 children, 62 (82.67%) were diagnosed with other ILI, 9 (12%) with influenza, and 4 (5.33%) with COVID-19. The majority belonged to the 1–5-year age group (40%). Fever was present in all children, while cough (89.33%) and rhinorrhea (86.67%) were common symptoms. Loss of taste and smell were significantly associated with COVID-19 (p<0.001). Respiratory distress was significantly more common in COVID-19 and influenza cases (p<0.001). Oxygen saturation was significantly lower in COVID-19 and influenza patients (p=0.028). Bilateral infiltrates on chest radiography were significantly associated with COVID-19 and influenza (p=0.003). Raised CRP was observed in 69.34% of cases but did not significantly differ among disease categories. All patients showed clinical improvement during follow-up. Conclusion: Most children presenting with ILI had non-COVID, non-influenza illnesses. Loss of smell and taste, respiratory distress, lower oxygen saturation, and bilateral radiological infiltrates were significantly associated with COVID-19 and influenza infections. Inflammatory markers demonstrated limited discriminatory value between disease categories but may assist in monitoring disease progression.

Keywords: Influenza-like illness, COVID-19, Influenza, Children, Inflammatory markers, CRP, Pediatric respiratory infections.