TORONTO (Canadian Press) -- A new report shows a higher proportion of Canadians needed specialized hospital care for H1N1 influenza than those admitted for complications of seasonal flu during a typical winter.

The study by the Canadian Institute for Health Information compared hospital statistics on H1N1 patients between April and December with figures for patients with regular flu during the 2007-2008 season.

Almost one in six patients in hospital for H1N1 were admitted to the ICU, compared with less than one in 10 of those with seasonal flu or flu-related pneumonia.

And when it came to the proportion of patients needing ventilators to assist breathing, H1N1 patients more than doubled the influenza-pneumonia group.

The report found patient age also differed greatly, with a median age of 28 for hospitalization due to H1N1, versus 71 for those admitted for seasonal flu or related pneumonia.

The study also found the proportion of pregnant women hospitalized with H1N1 was higher than what would be expected in a typical flu year.

Copyright The Canadian Press, 2010