Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been demonstrated to be an important cause of life-threatening pneumonia in adult bone marrow transplant recipients; however, its role in other immunocompromised adults has not been defined. We prospectively studied all adult patients with leukemia who were hospitalized at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston) during a 1-year period (November 1993 through October 1994). During a 19-week period when RSV was prevalent in the community, it was isolated from 9 (10%) of 87 patients with leukemia who developed an acute respiratory illness. In 6 (75%) of 8 patients with profound chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression, the RSV infection was complicated by pneumonia, with an 83% mortality rate. RSV appears to be an important cause of severe and often fatal pneumonia in myelosuppressed patients with leukemia.
Publication types
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Acute Disease
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Adult
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Antigens, Viral / analysis
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Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
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Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
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Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
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Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / virology
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Drug Therapy, Combination
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Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
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Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect
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Hospitalization
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Humans
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Immunocompromised Host*
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Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / therapeutic use
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Leukemia / complications*
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Leukemia / drug therapy
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Nasopharynx / virology
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Pharynx / virology
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Pneumonia, Viral / etiology*
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Pneumonia, Viral / therapy
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Pneumonia, Viral / virology
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Prospective Studies
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Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / etiology*
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Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / therapy
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Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / virology
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Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / isolation & purification
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Ribavirin / therapeutic use
Substances
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Antigens, Viral
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Antineoplastic Agents
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Antiviral Agents
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Immunoglobulins, Intravenous
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Ribavirin