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Impact of parainfluenza virus infection in pediatric cancer patients

Se Hyun Maeng1, Hye Soo Yoo, Soo-Han Choi

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Pediatric Blood & Cancer
|November 19, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Parainfluenza virus (PIV) is a common cause of respiratory virus infections in pediatric cancer patients. PIV infection can lead to severe lung issues and mortality, highlighting the need for strict infection control.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Critical Care Medicine

Background:

  • Respiratory virus (RV) infections pose significant risks to pediatric cancer patients.
  • Parainfluenza virus (PIV) is a frequent childhood respiratory pathogen.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of parainfluenza virus (PIV) infection in pediatric cancer patients.
  • To assess PIV infection-related morbidity and mortality in this vulnerable population.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 1,554 pediatric cancer patients' medical records.
  • Data collected from January 2000 to July 2008 at Samsung Medical Center.

Main Results:

  • 6.4% of patients had RV infections, with PIV accounting for 54% of these cases.
  • PIV infection frequently led to upper respiratory tract infections (URIs), with 20.3% progressing to pneumonia.
  • Mortality was 18.5% in patients with lower respiratory tract infections (LRIs) due to PIV; 80% of PIV infections were nosocomial.

Conclusions:

  • PIV is a significant pathogen in immunocompromised children with cancer, causing pulmonary complications and mortality.
  • Effective antiviral treatments are lacking; thus, infection control and early diagnosis are crucial for prevention.
Abstract

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