Tobacco smoke tied to flu complications in kids

Cigarette butts in an ashtray in Los Angeles, CaliforniaNEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Kids hospitalized with the flu are more likely to need intensive care and a longer stay if they've been exposed to second-hand smoke at home, a small new study finds. Analyzing the records of more than 100 kids hospitalized with flu in New York state, researchers found those exposed to second-hand smoke were five times more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit and required a 70 percent longer stay in the hospital, compared to the kids not exposed to smoke. …