Respiratory syncytial virus infections in children with acute myeloid leukemia: a report from the Children's Oncology Group

Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2008 Dec;51(6):784-6. doi: 10.1002/pbc.21710.

Abstract

Background: Morbidity and mortality related to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is not known.

Procedure: We combined data from three Children's Oncology Group AML studies and determined the prevalence of RSV infection and RSV-related mortality in children treated for de novo AML.

Results: We found that the prevalence of RSV infection ranged from 0% to 1% in induction and between 0.3 and 2.2% in consolidation. Four children died from RSV resulting in RSV-specific mortality of 0.2% among all children. However, the risk of RSV-related mortality among RSV infection episodes was high (4/40, 10%).

Conclusions: RSV infections and deaths are rare in pediatric AML.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / therapy
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / virology*
  • Male
  • Prevalence
  • Prognosis
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / therapy
  • Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / pathogenicity
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Survival Rate
  • Transplantation, Homologous