Impact of viral respiratory infections on pulmonary exacerbations in children with cystic fibrosis.

Background: Viral respiratory infections trigger pulmonary exacerbations (PEs) in children with cystic fibrosis (CF), but their clinical impact is not well understood.

Methods: A retrospective review of pediatric patients with CF who underwent nasopharyngeal respiratory viral panel testing during hospitalization for a PE between 2011 and 2018 was conducted. Patients were dichotomized into viral-positive and viral-negative groups.