Clinical profile of respiratory viral infections: A study from tertiary care centre of South India

BACKGROUND: The recent influenza pandemic caused by the 2009 California H1N1strain increased awareness of the importance of influenza among hospitalized patients but there are few reports on other influenza strains and other non influenza respiratory viral infections in hospitalised patients. AIM: To study epidemiological, clinical profile and outcome in patients hospitalised with respiratory viral infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu from September 2015 to July 2016. Respiratory samples from patients hospitalised with suspected acute viral respiratory infections were sent for molecular PCR based technique. RESULTS: Total 40 patients were studied. The most common respiratory virus was rhino virus in 9(22.5%) patients followed by influenza H3/H3N2 in 7(17.5%), H1N1 in 6(15%) and RSV in 4 (10%). After the diagnosis of the viral infection, antibiotics were completely stopped in 10(30.3%) patients and de-escalated to a narrower spectrum agent in another 10 (30.3%) patients. No patient whose antibiotics were de-escalated died, whereas there were 5 deaths in patients in whom de-escalation was not done. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis with PCR facilitates early use of antiviral agents, droplet isolation, prevention of cross-transmission of viruses and antibiotic stewardship practice.