Impact of viral respiratory infections on pulmonary exacerbations in children with cystic fibrosis

Background Viral respiratory infections trigger pulmonary exacerbations (PEs) in children with cystic fibrosis (CF), but their clinical impact is not well understood. Methods A retrospective review of pediatric patients with CF who underwent nasopharyngeal respiratory viral panel testing during hospitalization for a PE between 2011 and 2018 was conducted. Patients were dichotomized into viral‐positive and viral‐negative groups. The results of spirometry, respiratory cultures, duration of hospitalization, and risk for subsequent PEs were analyzed. Results Ninety‐five patients had 210 hospitalizations for PE (viral‐positive = 71/210, 34%) during the study period. Rhinovirus/enterovirus was the most common virus (52/71, 73%) identified. Viral‐positive patients were younger (p