VIRAL-INFECTIONS IN PEDIATRIC BURN PATIENTS

In a retrospective survey of serum for viral antibodies in pediatric burn patients, 22% had 4-fold increases in antibodies to cytomegalovirus (CMV), 8% had increases to herpes simplex virus and to Epstein-Barr virus and 5% had increases to varicella-zoster virus. No patient had evidence of adenovirus or hepatitis B virus infection. A prospective study of viral infections, using serologic and viral culture techniques, was performed. This study showed that in 33% of the children CMV infection developed; in 25%, herpes simplex infection; and in 17%, adenovirus infection. In all of the most severely burned children, CMV infections developed and both primary and reactivation infections were observed. Unexplained fevers are common in pediatric burn patients and this study shows that some of these may be due to CMV infection.