During recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the use of NPPV for children with ARF. There are some promising studies supporting its use in this acute setting. NPPV was well tolerated with rare major complications and was associated with improved gas exchange, decreased work of breathing, and decreased need for ETI. Both critical care ventilators and portable ventilators have been used for NPPV. However, the vast majority of the available knowledge in this acute setting results from noncontrolled trials and case series of small size. As such, many important issues, such as the identification of the patient, the right time for NPPV application, and the appropriate setting, are still lacking. Further randomized, controlled trials addressing these issues in children with ARF are needed to define better the patients who are likely to benefit from this alternative method of respiratory support. Also, the respective place of NPPV and high flow oxygen therapy in children with ARF due to different conditions has to be determined [56] . Najaf-Zadeh and Leclerc Annals of Intensive Care 2011, 1:15 http://www.annalsofintensivecare.com/content/1/1/15 Pandemic A/H1N1v influenza 2009 in hospitalized children: a multicenter Belgian survey BACKGROUND: During the 2009 influenza A/H1N1v pandemic, children were identified as a specific "at risk" group. We conducted a multicentric study to describe pattern of influenza A/H1N1v infection among hospitalized children in Brussels, Belgium. METHODS: From July 1, 2009, to January 31, 2010, we collected epidemiological and clinical data of all proven (positive H1N1v PCR) and probable (positive influenza A antigen or culture) pediatric cases of influenza A/H1N1v infections, hospitalized in four tertiary centers. RESULTS: During the epidemic period, an excess of 18% of pediatric outpatients and emergency department visits was registered. 215 children were hospitalized with proven/probable influenza A/H1N1v infection. Median age was 31 months. 47% had ≥ 1 comorbid conditions. Febrile respiratory illness was the most common presentation. 36% presented with initial gastrointestinal symptoms and 10% with neurological manifestations. 34% had pneumonia. Only 24% of the patients received oseltamivir but 57% received antibiotics. 10% of children were admitted to PICU, seven of whom with ARDS. Case fatality-rate was 5/215 (2%), concerning only children suffering from chronic neurological disorders. Children over 2 years of age showed a higher propensity to be admitted to PICU (16% vs 1%, p = 0.002) and a higher mortality rate (4% vs 0%, p = 0.06). Infants less than 3 months old showed a milder course of infection, with few respiratory and neurological complications. CONCLUSION: Although influenza A/H1N1v infections were generally self-limited, pediatric burden of disease was significant. Compared to other countries experiencing different health care systems, our Belgian cohort was younger and received less frequently antiviral therapy; disease course and mortality were however similar. On March 2009, in Mexico, a novel recombinant influenza strain (A/H1N1v) of swine origin was discovered as an infective agent in humans [1] . This new virus spread rapidly, first to USA and Canada, then all over the world, causing the "new 2009 influenza A/H1N1v pandemic" [2] . Worldwide, the burden of disease was significant and subsequent efforts from health care systems were required to face an overload of patient's consultations as well as to implement vaccination and surveillance programs. Although consequences of the pandemic were less dramatic than initially feared, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that the virus was responsible of at least 17700 deaths worldwide and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 59 millions infected people in the USA [3] [4] [5] ).