Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jun 2020
Multicenter StudyTesting for Common Respiratory Viruses in Children Admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care: Epidemiology and Outcomes.
Viral infections are common in children, but there is a lack of data on severe viral infections in critically ill children. We investigated testing for viral infections in children requiring PICU admission and describe the epidemiology and outcomes. ⋯ Viral infections are common in critically ill children. Viral infections were associated with lower intubation and mortality rates compared with all children testing negative for viral infections. In several subgroups studied, identification of viral pathogens was associated with longer PICU length of stay while mortality was comparable. Prospective studies are required to determine the benefit of routine testing for respiratory viruses at the time of PICU admission.