Respiratory viral infections among hospitalized adults: experience of a single tertiary healthcare hospital

Background

Following the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, there have been a large number of studies focusing on the epidemiology and outcomes of influenza A infection; however, there have been fewer studies focused on other respiratory viral infections.

Objectives

To define the epidemiology and outcomes of non-influenza respiratory viral infections in hospitalized adults.

Patients/Methods

Data on all patients ≥18 years of age with a positive molecular respiratory viral assay who were hospitalized at a single tertiary healthcare system in Chicago, IL, from retrospectively collected and analyzed.

Results

Over the study period, 503 of 46 024 (1·1%) admitted patients had a positive RVP result. Human rhinovirus was the most commonly detected virus followed by influenza A, human metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, and influenza B, respectively. Infection in immunocompromised patients was associated with a higher rate of progression to pneumonia and death.

Conclusions

Non-influenza respiratory viral infections are commonly detected among adults admitted to the hospital and can cause serious illness. The data can inform the prioritization of research into novel antiviral therapies for these infections.