title: The role of parainfluenza viruses in inspiratory difficulties in children.
abstract: Viral findings were prospectively studied in middle and lower respiratory tract infections in 449 hospitalized children during a 12-month follow-up period. A viral aetiology was found in 30 of the 65 children (46%) with inspiratory difficulties. Parainfluenza viruses were the infective agents in 24 of the 30 cases with viral diagnoses (80%), type 2 being the most prominent. There were 38 cases of parainfluenza infections, type 2 being the infective agent in 58% of the 24 cases of parainfluenza infections with inspiratory difficulties but in only 21% of the 14 cases of parainfluenza infections without inspiratory difficulties. Type 2 parainfluenza virus produced inspiratory difficulties in 82% of the cases as opposed to 56 and 50% of the cases for type 1 and 3, respectively. It is concluded that the type 2 parainfluenza virus has a particular association with inspiratory difficulties in children. Viral diagnosis was reached using direct antigen detection in nasopharyngeal specimens by radioimmunoassay in 59% and using complement fixation serology in 76% of parainfluenza infections. Direct antigen detection was especially useful in infants. We suggest that direct antigen detection should be used as a primary virological diagnostic method in small children with middle and lower respiratory tract infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University Central Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korppi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Halonen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kleemola
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Launiala
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000276:immunology; D010222:Parainfluenza Virus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology; D010223:Parainfluenza Virus 2, Human / Q000276:immunology; D010224:Parainfluenza Virus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral