title: Respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia in hospitalized adult patients with leukemia.
abstract: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been demonstrated to be an important cause of life-threatening pneumonia in adult bone marrow transplant recipients; however, its role in other immunocompromised adults has not been defined. We prospectively studied all adult patients with leukemia who were hospitalized at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston) during a 1-year period (November 1993 through October 1994). During a 19-week period when RSV was prevalent in the community, it was isolated from 9 (10%) of 87 patients with leukemia who developed an acute respiratory illness. In 6 (75%) of 8 patients with profound chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression, the RSV infection was complicated by pneumonia, with an 83% mortality rate. RSV appears to be an important cause of severe and often fatal pneumonia in myelosuppressed patients with leukemia.
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Whimbey
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Couch
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Englund
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andreeff
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Goodrich
authors.forename: I I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Raad
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mirza
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baxter
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000821:virology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000821:virology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000821:virology; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D012254:Ribavirin