There is little known about parainfluenza virus (PIV) infection in adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Here, we aim to describe the characteristics, clinical course and outcomes of PIV infection in adults requiring intensive care. In this retrospective study of consecutive patients admitted to our ICU with confirmed PIV infection over a 7-year period, we report the patient characteristics, laboratory tests and prognostic scores on ICU admission. The main outcomes reported are 30-day mortality and organ support required. We included 50 patients (52% male, mean age 67.6 years). The mean PaO2/FiO2 and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios on ICU admission were 198 ± 82 mmHg and 15.7 ± 12.5. Overall, 98% of patients required respiratory support and 24% required cardiovascular support. The median length of ICU stay was 5.9 days (IQR 3.7-9.1) with a 30-day mortality of 40%. In conclusion, PIV infection in adult ICU patients is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. There were significant differences between patients who presented with primary hypoxemic respiratory failure and hypercapnic respiratory failure.
Keywords: intensive care; parainfluenza; pneumonia; respiratory failure; viral.