Viral infection in adults with severe acute respiratory infection in Colombia

Background: Hospital admission of patients with  severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), including those with pneumonia, occurs without identification of aetiological agent. The aim of this study was to identify the viral aetiology in adult patients with SARI admitted to sentinel surveillance institutions in Bogotá in 2012.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which microarray molecular techniques for viral identification were used on nasopharyngeal samples of adult patients submitted to the surveillance system, and further descriptions of clinical features and relevant clinical outcomes, such as mortality, need for critical care, use of mechanical ventilation and hospital stay, were obtained.

Results: A total of 91 patients with SARI were analysed, and viral identification was achieved for 63 (69.2%). The most frequent pathology identified was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 24.2% patients. The viruses isolated more frequently were Influenza and Bocavirus in 30.8% and 28.6% of cases, respectively, followed by Adenovirus, Metapneumovirus and others. Prevalence rates were as follows: mortality 15.4%, admission to intensive care units (ICUs) 42.9%, pneumonia 41,7%, and requirement for mechanical ventilation 36.3%; the average hospital stay was 9.9 days. Antibiotics were used in 90.1% of patients.

Conclusion: The prevalence of viral aetiology of severe acute respiratory infections in this study was high, with adverse clinical outcomes, with intensive care requirement and high mortality.