Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Zerr, Danielle M.
• Frenkel, Lisa M.
• Huang, Meei-Li
• Rhoads, Margaret
• Nguy, Long
• Del Beccaro, Mark A.
• Corey, Lawrence

Titel

Polymerase chain reaction diagnosis of primary human herpesvirus-6 infection in the acute care setting

Ist Teil von

• The Journal of pediatrics, 2006-10, Vol.149 (4), p.480-485

Ort / Verlag

New York, NY: Mosby, Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2006

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• To evaluate the potential utility of identifying primary human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 infection in an emergency department setting by determining the frequency of HHV-6 viremia, diagnostic testing, and empiric treatment of serious bacterial infection (SBI) in HHV-6 viremic children, and concurrent SBI and HHV-6 viremia. Children under age 2 years and who had a blood specimen taken for evaluation of fever were tested for HHV-6 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HHV-6 viremia was defined as detection of HHV-6 DNA in acute plasma. A total of 32 of the 181 subjects (18%) had HHV-6 viremia. Children with HHV-6 viremia frequently underwent procedures for diagnosis and empiric treatment of SBI: 60% had bladder catheterizations, 6% had lumbar punctures, 47% had radiographs, 32% received empiric antibiotics, and 34% were hospitalized. Four of the 32 children with HHV-6 viremia (12.5%) were diagnosed with SBI, although none had a positive culture of blood or cerebrospinal fluid. Rapid diagnosis of HHV-6 viremia may not serve to adequately differentiate infants with and without SBI in acute care settings. Although no children with HHV-6 viremia had bacteremia or meningitis, it appears that additional criteria are needed to increase the specificity of HHV-6 PCR testing before withholding evaluation for SBI.