Incidence of respiratory viruses in patients with community-acquired pneumonia admitted to the intensive care unit: results from the Severe Influenza Pneumonia Surveillance (SIPS) project

• Published in: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases Vol. 32; no. 5; pp. 705 - 710
• Main Authors: Wiemken, T., Peyrani, P., Bryant, K., Kelley, R. R., Summersgill, J., Arnold, F., Carrico, R., McKinney, W. P., Jonsson, C., Carrico, K., Ramirez, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-05-2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adults; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Clinical outcomes; Community-Acquired Infections - epidemiology; Community-Acquired Infections - virology; Female; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Human viral diseases; Humans; Incidence; Infectious diseases; Information science; Intensive care; Intensive Care Units - statistics & numerical data; Internal Medicine; Kentucky - epidemiology; Male; Medical Microbiology; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Observational studies; Pathogens; Patients; Pediatrics; Pneumology; Pneumonia; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Pneumonia, Viral - virology; Polymerase chain reaction; Prospective Studies; Public health; Public Health Surveillance; Respiratory system : syndromes and miscellaneous diseases; Swine flu; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the respiratory system and ent viral diseases; Viruses; Viruses - classification; Viruses - isolation & purification; Kentucky; Louisville Kentucky; United States > US; Influenza Virus; Etiologic Agent; Respiratory Virus; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; Influenza; Human; Lung disease; Pneumonia; Microbiology; Respiratory disease; Epidemiology; Intensive care unit; Incidence; Infection; Respiratory tract; Community acquired infection; Surveillance; Viral disease
• ISSN: 0934-9723; 1435-4373
• DOI: 10.1007/s10096-012-1802-8

Few patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) require admission to the intensive care unit (ICU-CAP). However, they represent the most severe form of the disease. An understanding of the etiologic agents of ICU-CAP may lead to better treatment decisions and patient outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of respiratory viruses in patients with ICU-CAP. This was an observational study conducted in six Kentucky hospitals from December 2008 through October 2011. A case of ICU-CAP was defined as a patient admitted to an ICU with the diagnosis of CAP. The Luminex xTAG multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used for viral identification. A total of 468 adult and pediatric patients with ICU-CAP were enrolled in the study. A total of 92 adult patients (23 %) and 14 pediatric patients (19 %) had a respiratory virus identified. Influenza was the most common virus identified in adults and the second most common in pediatric patients. This study suggests that respiratory viruses may be common etiologic agents of pneumonia in patients with ICU-CAP. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend empiric anti-influenza therapy during the winter for hospitalized patients with CAP. This study supports this recommendation in patients with ICU-CAP.