Introduction: Viral severe low respiratory tract infections ar a main cause of admission in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Molecular tecniques have increased their identification.
Objective: The aim of this study was to compare features of viral pneumonia with bacterial pneumonia or coinfection.
Methods: Prospective, observational study, included adults patients, with severe community low respiratory tract infections, admitted in ICU between Janury, 2016 – June, 2017. We collected results of real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase- chain-reaction (Film Array®).
Results: We included 53 patients, 64,2% mens, aged 60 ±13, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) 10 ±5,5, ICU stay 13 ±13 días, Mechanical Ventilation (MV) was applied in 81%, duration of MV 9,3 ±9 days. ICU mortality 22,6%. We obtained microbiological identification in 36/53 (67%), corresponding 14 viral etiology, 13 bacterial and 9coinfections. Of the 23 viral infections, we identified: 9 Influenza A, 8 Rhinovirus, 3 Sincitial Respiratory Virus, 1 Adenovirus, 1 Coronavirus y 1 Influenza B. Caractheristics of viral exclusively compared to coinfection and bacterial, were: age 54 ±18 vs 60 ±13 (p=0,33); SOFA 10 ±5 vs 10 ±6; ICU stay 19 ±16 vs 14 ±15; sepsis 50% vs 45% (p=0,79); MV 93% vs 77% (p=0,22), respiratory distress syndrome 29% vs 18% (p=0,46), mortality 9% vs 27% (p= 0.19), respectively. Conclusion: Respiratory viruses were the major cause of severe pulmonary infection admitted in the ICU (64%), mainly as an unique agent (39%), presenting similar severity and mortality than bacterial etiology.
