** Shares of hospital operator HCA Healthcare HCA.N fall 7.3% to $439.35 premarket
** Co says it did not experience a typical volume increase associated with the flu season in Q1 as respiratory-related admissions fell 42%, and respiratory-related emergency room visits were down 32% year-over-year
** "Investors were prepared for some deceleration in same-store volumes, but we think Q1 was worse than expected"- Keybanc analyst Matthew Gillmor
** Co posts Q1 adjusted profit of $7.15 per share, vs. analysts' average estimate of $7.14 per share - LSEG data
** Posts Q1 revenue of $19.11 billion, vs. estimates of $19.10 billion
** As of last close, HCA up 1.5% YTD
(Reporting by Kunal Das and Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru)
((Kunal.Das2@thomsonreuters.com;))