OP-083 Respiratory viral pathogens requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation in a pediatric intensive care unit

Aim Respiratory viral pathogens account for a significant number of hospitalizations among children, each year. Respiratory Synctial Virus (RSV), being the leading cause for respiratory-related hospitalizations, other pathogens such as Bocavirus and Rhino/Enterovirus may present with severe illness requiring mechanical ventilation. Our aim in this study is to determine the respiratory pathogens and the disease course caused by these pathogens in children admitted to our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with respiratory failure requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) Material and Method Forty patients admitted to PICU in between January 2023-January 2024 with respiratory failure requiring NIV were included. Patients who only required HFNC or invasive mechanical ventilation were excluded. Viral pathogens were detected in nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens of the patients via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Ages of the patiens as well laboratory results, PICU and hospital lenght of stay, co-infection with other viral pathogens, days on NIV were recorded. Results The mean age of the patients was 18.9 months and 65% of them were male. RSV was detected in 14 (35%) of the patients, followed by Bocavirus (17%) The longest PICU length of stay was in a patient with SARS CoV-2 (95 days) who had spinal muscular atrophy and needed invasive mechanival ventilation followed by tracheostomy, followed by Bocavirus (12,4 days). The maximum length of NIV was 20 days in a patient with chronic respiratory failure, followed by RSV (50% of them >8 days). Eleven patients consulted with lymphopenia Conclusions Although RSV seems to be the leading cause of respiratory-related hospitalizations, other pathogens may also cause severe illness where NIV fails.