Abstract
BACKGROUND: Clinical significance of respiratory viruses (RVs) as an etiology of pneumonia in
liver disease patients with cirrhosis is usually underestimated. Therefore, the aim
of this study was to evaluate the spectrum of RVs in cirrhotic patients with pneumonia
admitted in critical care units (CCUs) and its impact on the clinical outcome of cirrhotic
patients.
MATERIAL AND METHOD: A prospective study was conducted in a tertiary care CCU, and consecutive cirrhotic
patients with pneumonia were included. Bronchoalveolar lavage or throat swab/nasal
swab was collected in viral transport medium for analysis of RVs by multiplex real-time
polymerase chain reaction. A total of 135 cirrhotic patients were included, viral
and bacterial etiology of pneumonia was identified, and analysis was done with the
clinical outcome.
RESULTS: Overall, RVs were detected in 30 (22.2%) cirrhotic patients and viral–bacterial coinfection
in 16 (11.8%) cirrhotic patients. The most common virus detected was rhinovirus in
9 (30%) patients. Mortality in cirrhotic patients with RV infection was significantly
higher in comparison to cirrhotic patients with no RV infection (25 [83.3%] and 11
[12.3%], respectively, P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: Respiratory viruses in cirrhotic patients with pneumonia are associated with poor
clinical outcome.
Key words
Care - chronic liver disease - critical - pneumonia - respiratory virus - unit - viral–bacterial
coinfection