Respiratory viruses in the pediatric intensive care unit: prevalence and clinical aspects

• Published in: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Vol. 99; no. 8; pp. 883 - 887
• Main Authors: Straliotto, Selir M, Siqueira, Marilda M, Machado, Vera, Maia, Tânia M R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 01.12.2004; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)
• Subjects: Adenoviridae - isolation & purification; Adenoviridae Infections - epidemiology; Adenovirus; Brazil - epidemiology; bronchiolitis; Bronchiolitis, Viral - epidemiology; Bronchiolitis, Viral - virology; Child; Child, Preschool; Humans; Infant; Influenza A virus - isolation & purification; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - epidemiology; Parainfluenza Virus 3, Human - isolation & purification; PARASITOLOGY; pneumonia; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Pneumonia, Viral - virology; Prevalence; Respiratory syncytial virus; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human - isolation & purification; Respirovirus Infections - epidemiology; Severity of Illness Index; TROPICAL MEDICINE; viral respiratory infection; Brazil; pneumonia; respiratory syncytial virus; bronchiolitis; adenovirus; viral respiratory infection
• ISSN: 0074-0276; 1678-8060; 1678-8060; 0074-0276
• DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762004000800017

A survey was conducted in two pediatric intensive care units in hospitals in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in order to monitor the main respiratory viruses present in bronchiolitis and/or pneumonia and their involvement in the severity of viral respiratory infections. Viral respiratory infection prevalence was 38.7%. In bronchiolitis, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was detected in 36% of the cases. In pneumonia, the prevalence rates were similar for adenovirus (10.3%) and RSV (7.7%). There was a difference among the viruses detected in terms of frequency of clinical findings indicating greater severity. Frequency of crackles in patients with RSV (47.3%) showed a borderline significance (p = 0.055, Fisher's exact test) as compared to those with adenovirus (87.5%). The overall case fatality rate in this study was 2.7%, and adenovirus showed a significantly higher case fatality rate (25%) than RSV (2.8%) (p = 0.005). Injected antibiotics were used in 49% of the children with RSV and 60% of those with adenovirus. Adenovirus was not detected in any of the 33 children submitted to oxygen therapy.