Nasopharyngeal detection of respiratory viruses in febrile neutropenic children.

Background: Although fever is common in neutropenic children, a microbiological etiology is determined in only 15% to 30% of cases. The authors investigated the frequency of respiratory virus detection in the upper airways of febrile neutropenic children with negative bacterial cultures.

Methods: This is a 3-year prospective study of children younger than 19 years, hospitalized with febrile neutropenia and negative bacterial cultures.

Unrecognized viral respiratory tract infections in premature infants during their birth hospitalization: a prospective surveillance study in two neonatal intensive care units.

Objective: To determine the frequency and effects of nosocomial respiratory viral infections (RVIs) in premature neonates, including those who may be asymptomatic.

Study Design: We performed a year-long surveillance for RVIs in infants <33 weeks gestational age admitted to 2 Syracuse neonatal intensive care units. Infants were enrolled within 3 days of neonatal intensive care unit admission and were sampled for RVIs until discharge using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay capable of detecting 17 different respiratory viruses or subtypes.

Viral etiology of acute febrile respiratory illnesses in hospitalized children younger than 24 months.

Background: Respiratory infections are a leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations. This study investigated whether virus-virus or virus-Bordetella co-infections are more frequent or more severe than previously recognized.

Methods: This is a 3-year prospective study of children younger than 24 months hospitalized with a febrile respiratory illness.

Comparison of a new lateral-flow chromatographic membrane immunoassay to viral culture for rapid detection and differentiation of influenza A and B viruses in respiratory specimens.

The performance of a new rapid lateral-flow chromatographic membrane immunoassay test kit for detection of influenza virus was evaluated and compared to that of viral culture in respiratory secretions collected from 400 adults and children seen at three large university hospitals during the recent 2003 influenza season. The rapid test provided results in 15 min, with excellent overall performance statistics (sensitivity, 94.4%; specificity, 100%; positive predictive value, 100%; negative predictive value, 97.