Longitudinal evaluation of pediatric respiratory infections

Acute respiratory infections are the most common cause of under-five-year-old pediatric mortality worldwide. Due to a paucity of data, the impact of many respiratory viruses and their association with respiratory failure in children are unclear. We assessed single respiratory viral pathogens and their association with intubation, and secondly describe dual viral pathogens and viral-bacterial pathogens associations with intubation.

This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of children (0-18 years old) admitted to the acute care unit and/or pediatric intensive care unit of an urban, quaternary children's hospital from November 1, 2013 to November 1, 2017. Patients with viral studies sent within 48 h of admission were included. Associations of viral pathogens and intubation status were calculated using odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI) and p-values.

There were 15,923 hospitalization encounters, with 634 (3.9%) requiring intubation. RSV and hMPV had increased odds for intubation, (aOR 1.80, 95% CI 1.50-2.18) and (aOR 1.59, 95% CI 1.13-2.24) respectively. Coinfection with RSV and adenovirus had increased odds of requiring intubation, (aOR 3.48, 95% CI 1.21-10.01). Contrary, coinfection with influenza A and RSV had no intubations. In the viral-bacterial coinfections model, there was an increased association with intubations for RSV and Streptococcus (aOR 9.34, 95% CI 4.21-20.71) and hMPV and Streptococcus (aOR 8.98, 95% CI 1.62-49.88).

RSV and hMPV corresponded to the highest rates of intubations, and dual infections with RSV and adenovirus, RSV and Streptococcus, and hMPV and Streptococcus were associated with mechanical ventilation, revealing differences amongst the groups.