Respiratory virus infections in adults with hematologic malignancies: a prospective study.
During a 2-year period, 157 consecutive episodes of respiratory virus infections that occurred in 130 patients with upper or lower respiratory tract infection were analyzed for respiratory viruses. A respiratory virus was identified in 75 episodes (48%), and several viruses were found in 13 episodes: there were a total of 56 influenza A virus infections, 14 respiratory syncytial virus infections, 8 adenovirus infections, 8 infections with parainfluenza virus types 1 or 3, and 7 enterovirus infections. On multivariate analysis, the only variable that predicted progression to pneumonia in patients with an upper respiratory tract infection was the presence of respiratory syncytial virus, whereas lymphocytopenia had a nonsignificant trend. Also, among the 38 patients who had pneumonia at any time during the episode, both respiratory syncytial virus and lymphocytopenia were commonly found. For both epidemiological and therapeutic considerations, frequent screening for respiratory viruses should be incorporated into the routine diagnostic study of patients with hematologic malignancies.
Martino
Rodrigo
R
Division of Clinical Hematology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain. rmartino@hsp.santpau.es
Rámila
Elena
E
Rabella
Núria
N
Muñoz
José Manuel
JM
Peyret
Mercé
M
Portos
José Manuel
JM
Laborda
Rosario
R
Sierra
Jorge
J
D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010222:Parainfluenza Virus 1, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D012307:Risk Factors