Objective
In 2014, the US experienced an outbreak of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) associated with severe respiratory illness. The clinical characteristics associated with severe illness from EV-D68 during this outbreak compared with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus outbreak are unknown.
Design and Setting
In this retrospective cohort study, we characterized the clinical features of children with EV-D68 admitted to the pediatric ICU between August 1-November 1, 2014 and compared them with critically-ill children infected with H1N1 influenza during the pandemic admitted between May 1, 2009-January 31, 2010.
Patients
pediatric ICU patients
Interventions
none
Measurements and Main Results
Ninety-seven severely-ill children with EV-D68 infections were compared with 68 children infected with H1N1 influenza during the 2009 pandemic. Children with EV-D68 were more likely to have asthma (62% vs 23%, P< 0.001) and present with reactive airway disease exacerbations, with greater receipt of albuterol (94% vs 49%) and steroids (89% vs 40%, P< 0.0001 for both). While more children with EV-D68 were admitted to the ICU compared with H1N1 influenza, they had a shorter hospital length of stay (4 vs 7 days, P< 0.0001), with lower intubation rates (7% vs 44%), vasopressor use (3% vs 32%), ARDS (3% vs 24%), shock (0% vs 16%) and death (0% vs 12 %, P< 0.05 for all). Compared with children with other enteroviruses and rhinoviruses, children with EV-D68 were more likely to have a history of asthma (64% vs 45%) or multiple prior wheezing episodes (54% vs 34%, P < 0.01 for both).
Conclusions
Critically-ill children with EV-D68 were more likely to present with reactive airway disease exacerbations, whereas children with H1N1 influenza were more likely to present with pneumonia. Compared to the pandemic H1N1 influenza outbreak, the EV-D68 outbreak resulted in more children requiring admission to the ICU, but was associated with less severe outcomes.