title: [Viral etiology of community acquired pneumonia among adults admitted to a general hospital].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is paucity of information about viral etiology of community acquired pneumonia in adults.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the viral etiology of pneumonia among hospitalized patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  All adults with pneumonia that were hospitalized were prospectively enrolled at Puerto Montt hospital. A microbiological and viral assessment was carried out. Viral assessment included direct immunofluorescence of nasopharyngeal aspirates for influenza A and B virus and serum samples obtained during the acute phase of the disease and during convalescence for Hanta virus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between April 1 2005 and March 31 2006,159 adults aged 62 ± 20 years (58 % males), were admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. Mean hospital stay was 11.9 ± 8.6 days. Four patients had Hantavirus acute infection. Other viruses were identified in twelve patients (7.7%). Nine had influenza A, one syncytial respiratory virus, one syncytial and influenza A virus and one varicella zoster virus. Excluding patients with Hantavirus, no significant differences in age, clinical presentation, chest X ray findings, laboratory results and mortality were observed between patients with bacterial or viral etiology of the pneumonia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Viral etiology was confirmed in 10% of adult patients hospitalized with community acquired pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Puerto Montt, Chile. malurioseco@gmail.com
authors.forename: M Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rioseco Z
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riquelme O
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riquelme O
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Inzunza P
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oyarzún G
authors.forename: Yasna
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Agüero O
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrés G
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vial C
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fasce P
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torres M
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology*; D011446:Prospective Studies