Prevalence, characteristics and outcomes of respiratory viral co-infection among hospitalized children.
Viral co-infection in hospitalized children did not increase intensive care unit admission rate
Prevalence, characteristics and outcomes of respiratory viral co-infection among hospitalized children.
UNLABELLED: Respiratory tract infections (respiratory tract infections) are a leading cause of pediatric hospitalization.
This study evaluated whether viral co-infection in children leads to worse clinical outcomes, higher inflammatory markers, or increased medical management compared to single-virus infections.
We retrospectively studied children aged 0-18 years hospitalized with respiratory tract infections at a tertiary pediatric center (2017-2024).
similar intensive care unit admission with or without co-infection
Clinical, laboratory, and hospitalization data were compared between children with single versus multiple viral infections.
Of 5,703 hospitalized children, 1,120 (19.6%) had multiple viral infections.
1.2 [IQR 0.4-3.2], p < 0.0001) and more likely to have elevated inflammatory markers, including higher C-reactive protein (c-reactive protein) and white blood cell (white blood cell) counts.
Viral co-infections were common, particularly among younger children, and were associated with modestly higher inflammatory responses and increased use of anti-inflammatory medications.
However, co-infection did not significantly affect hospitalization duration or intensive care unit admission. These findings suggest that multiple viral infections may not substantially worsen disease severity in hospitalized children.