Winter viral ecology in a pediatric intensive care unit: a prospective study

• Published in: Archives de pédiatrie : organe officiel de la Société française de pédiatrie 2015-04, Vol.22 (4), p.368-372
• Main Authors: Mortamet, G, Morello, R, Jokic, M, Vabret, A, Leroux, M, Brouard, J, Dina, J
• Format: Article
• Language: fre
• Subjects: Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Infant; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; Male; Prospective Studies; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - virology; Seasons
• ISSN: 1769-664X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.arcped.2014.10.025

Viral respiratory infections are common in children, most of which are due to a virus. They can lead to serious infections, and these children may require treatment in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). This prospective study evaluated the epidemiology of respiratory viruses and associated illnesses among children hospitalized in a PICU during the three winter months of 2012-2013. All the children admitted to the PICU, University Hospital of Caen, France, were included. Nasal swabs were collected and specimens were tested using a single real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Of the 105 patients admitted to the PICU during the study period, 84 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The "respiratory group" included 37 patients with respiratory symptoms at admission while the "nonrespiratory group" included 47 patients with no respiratory symptoms. The 84 nasal swabs collected included 54 that were considered positive (64.3%) and 70 viruses were detected. The most commonly detected virus was RSV (n=28; 40.0% positive samples), followed by HRV (n=24; 34.3%). Viruses were more frequently detected in the respiratory (86.5%) than in the nonrespiratory (42.6%) group (P