Stroke as a Complication of H1N1 Influenza Infection: A Case Study

In June 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended the US public health emergency for the H1N1 pandemic with estimates for total cases, hospitalizations, and deaths counted from April 2009 to April 2010. By the end of this period, the human H1N1 virus was estimated to have been responsible for 12470 deaths in the United States. Most deaths associated with the seasonal flu or H1N1 infection are due to complications such as secondary infections. Experts are finding, however, that a small percentage of these deaths or comorbid conditions may be caused by disseminated intravascular coagulation, and stroke can be a sequela of disseminated intravascular coagulation. This case study describes the clinical course of a patient who had multiple strokes due to disseminated intravascular coagulation triggered by H1N1 infection. Useful clinical information about disseminated intra vascular coagulation is detailed for nursing practice. Implications of the possible link between H1N1 infection (and influenza A and B) and stroke resulting from disseminated intravascular coagulation are discussed. (Critical Care Nurse. 2011; 31[4]: e1-e8)