Clinical characteristics of severe viral pneumonia in a pediatric intensive care unit
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62407/pmwcax40Abstract
Severe viral pneumonia is one of the leading causes of admission to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and is associated with high morbidity and mortality, the need for invasive mechanical ventilation, and prolonged hospital stay. Disease severity and clinical outcomes may vary according to the viral etiologic agent involved. Objective: To evaluate clinical characteristics and outcomes of severe viral pneumonia in a pediatric intensive care unit in Nicaragua between January 2024 and December 2025. Methodology: An observational, analytical, and retrospective study was conducted in 80 pediatric patients diagnosed with severe viral pneumonia who required invasive mechanical ventilation. Data were obtained through medical record review, and sociodemographic, clinical, ventilatory, viral etiologic agent, complications, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay, and survival variables were analyzed. Descriptive statistics, association tests, analysis of variance, and Kaplan–Meier survival curves were applied. Results: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was the most frequently identified etiologic agent, followed by rhinovirus and influenza. The main complications observed were acute respiratory distress syndrome and septic shock. A statistically significant association was found between RSV infection and the presence of these complications, as well as with specific radiological findings. Analysis of variance showed that patients with RSV infection had significantly longer hospital stay and longer duration of mechanical ventilation compared to those infected with other viruses (p < 0.05). Survival analysis demonstrated significant differences according to the etiologic agent, with lower survival probability among cases associated with RSV. Conclusions: Severe viral pneumonia has a significant clinical impact in the PICU, with RSV being the etiologic agent associated with greater disease severity, increased hospital resource utilization, and lower survival.
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References
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