title: Burden and viral aetiology of influenza-like illness and acute respiratory infection in intensive care units.
abstract: The purpose of this investigation was to study the viral aetiology of influenza-like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) among patients requiring intensive care unit admission. A cross-sectional retrospective study was carried out in Sicily over a 4-year period. A total of 233 respiratory samples of patients with ILI/ARTI admitted to intensive care units were molecularly analyzed for the detection of a comprehensive panel of aetiologic agents of viral respiratory infections. About 45% of patients was positive for at least one pathogen. Single aetiology occurred in 75.2% of infected patients, while polymicrobial infection was found in 24.8% of positive subjects. Influenza was the most common aetiologic agent (55.7%), especially among adults. Most of patients with multiple aetiology (76.9%) were adults and elderly. Mortality rates among patients with negative or positive aetiology did not significantly differ (52.4% and 47.6%, respectively). Highly transmissible respiratory pathogens are frequently detected among patients with ILI/ARTI admitted in intensive care units, showing the occurrence of concurrent infections by different viruses. The knowledge of the circulation of several types of microorganisms is of crucial importance in terms of appropriateness of therapies, but also for the implication in prevention strategies and hospital epidemiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro" - Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; Clinical Epidemiology Unit, University Hospital "Paolo Giaccone", Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: fabio.tramuto@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tramuto
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro" - Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: carmelo.maida@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Carmelo Massimo
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Maida
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro" - Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: g.napoli15@virgilio.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Napoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro" - Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; Clinical Epidemiology Unit, University Hospital "Paolo Giaccone", Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: caterina.mammina@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mammina
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro" - Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: alessandra.casuccio@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casuccio
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro" - Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: cinzia.cala@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cala'
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro" - Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: amoema79@libero.it.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Amodio
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro" - Hygiene Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; Clinical Epidemiology Unit, University Hospital "Paolo Giaccone", Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: francesco.vitale@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vitale
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012802:Sicily / Q000453:epidemiology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Co-infection; Influenza-like illness; Intensive care units; Italy; Sicily; Viral infection