Mortality, length of stay, bloodstream and respiratory viral infections in a pediatric intensive care unit

Patients with diagnoses of leukemia, lymphoma, cardiomyopathy/myocarditits, encephalitis, and comorbidity of bloodstream infections and pneumococcal disease were significantly at risk of PICU mortality. Length of stay of survivors was associated with bloodstream gram-positive infection. The highest odds for death were among patients with leukemia/lymphoma and bloodstream coinfection. As early diagnosis of these childhood malignancies is desirable but not always possible, adequate and early antimicrobial coverage for gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria might be the only feasible option to reduce PICU mortality in these patients. In Hong Kong, a subtropical Asian city, none of the common respiratory viruses were associated with increased mortality or LOS in PICU.