Clinical and epidemiological evaluation of hospitalized children with respiratory virus infections

Abstract

Objective: Respiratory virus infections are the most common cause of hospitalization particularly in infants and young children. Detection of the respiratory viruses with multiplex PCR has recently facilitated patient management and allowed for the identification of new viruses. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, epidemiology of viral agents in hospitalized children and to compare the clinical manifestations of single virus versus multiple virus infections. Material and Methods: Data of hospitalized children with respiratory infections were retrospectively investigated. Demographic characteristics of the patients, the month/season they were admitted, clinical and laboratory findings, duration of hospitalization, nasopharyngeal swab samples were investigated. Multiplex PCR was used for respiratory viruses. Patients with a single virus infection and those with multiple virus infection were compared. Results: A total of 114 nasal swab samples from hospitalized children during September 2014-April 2016 were evaluated by multiplex PCR. At least one respiratory pathogen was detected in 94 (83.3%) of the patients. Co-infections were identified in 29 (30.9%) of the patients. RSV (28.7%) was the most common single pathogen and RSV-Rhinovirus was the most common co-existence (31%, 9/29). Multiple virus infections were mostly detected in younger children (p= 0.022). There was no difference between children with multiple versus single virus infections in terms of gender, premature birth, mechanical ventilation history, presence of chronic illness, family history of smoking, upper respiratory tract infection in the family, severity of disease (respiratory scoring, oxygen requirement), hospitalization stay, need for hospitalization in the intensive care unit and laboratory findings (p> 0.05). Conclusion: In 83.3% of the patients, at least one respiratory virus and in the one third of the patients more than one respiratory virus were detected. RSV was the most common pathogen in both single and multiple virus infections. There was no relationship between the single and multiple virus infections for the disease severity.