Respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia in hospitalized adult patients with leukemia.
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.
Whimbey
E
E
Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
Couch
R B
RB
Englund
J A
JA
Andreeff
M
M
Goodrich
J M
JM
Raad
I I
II
Lewis
V
V
Mirza
N
N
Luna
M A
MA
Baxter
B
B
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
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D012254:Ribavirin