Results
In this retrospective study we found 22 hospitalized adult patients that were diagnosed with human metapneumovirus infections, 20 of them community acquired and 2 nosocomial. The clinical characteristics of those patients can be reviewed in detail in table1. In summary the mean age was 65 and 50 % were female. The mean duration of illness prior to diagnosis was 4.5 days. Most patients complained of cough and dyspnea, 85.7% and 71% respectively. Fever and rhinorrhea were reported only in 36.3% and 38%.
Sore throat and myalgia were even less frequently reported in 14.2% and 23.8% respectively.
The mean temperature at the time of diagnosis was 98±1.5. 68% had an abnormal chest x-ray. Leucocyte count was usually normal with a mean of 8.4±4.1. The mean CCI was 4.6±2.6 (1-11). The overall length of hospital stay ranged from 2 to 28 days with an average of 10 days (excluding the 2 nosocomial cases). About 36.3 % (8/22) of patients required care in the intensive care unit (ICU) for an average length of stay of 3±5.8 days (excluding one nosocomial case diagnosed in the ICU). 22% (5/22) of patients died (Table 1). Among the 15/22 patients who had abnormal chest radiograph (CXR) most 13/15 had bilateral infiltrates (5 were alveolar versus 6 interstitial and 2 mixed). All patients who died had an abnormal CXR with a trend to statistical significances. Compared to the group of patients who survived the group of patients who died did not have a significant statistical difference in terms of CCI, age, gender and ethnicity, smoking or alcohol use. Patient who died were more likely to have higher fever at the time of diagnosis but other vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygenations, respiratory rate were not significantly different among the two groups.
Patients who were admitted to the ICU either required mechanical ventilation or were treated for other concomitant infections. They were more likely to die and had longer ICU stay compared to those who survived (Table 2).