Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ile Tespit Edilen Viral Akut Alt Solunum Yolu Enfeksiyonlarının Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Objective: Acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) is the most frequent cause of hospitalization in infantsyounger than 5 years. In the main, alveolar and bronchial infections are responsible for 90% of deaths from respiratory disease.The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology, clinical findings, and treatment modalities of respiratory viruses detected with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Material and Methods: A total of 235 children between the age of 1 and 24 months who were hospitalized due to ALRTI between January 2014 and December 2018 and who had positive PCR results for respiratory viruses were included in the study. Demographics, clinical findings, laboratory tests, treatment modalities, need for the high-frequency nasal cannula (HFNC) or mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay, and the requirement for treatment within a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) were recorded. Results : In total, 55.5% of the children were male with a mean age of 6.1±6 months. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was present in 106, rhinovirus in 35, influenza in 23, and other viruses in the remaining 71. There was a significant seasonal difference among the various etiologies. Fever was present in patients with influenza, multiple viral infections, adenovirus, and human metapneumovirus (HMPV). There was no significant difference in the physical examination among patients presenting with a pertussis-like cough, feeding difficulty, or lethargy. The white blood cell (WBC) count increased due to adenovirus and HMPV infection; however, differences in C-reaktif protein(CRP), mean platelet volume (MPV), and eosinophilia were not significant. There was no significant difference between the chest X-ray findings and medical treatment based on the viral etiology. Fifty-four patients were followed up in the PICU. Although influenza was only the third most common etiology, it was the most common cause of PICU admission. Conclusion: RSV continues to be an important viral etiology for hospitalization in children below 2 years old. Influenza was the most frequent virus requiring admission to the PICU. Widespread immunization against influenza has been related to the decline of the LRTI in children.