Hematopoietic cell transplant recipients with rhinovirus in their lower respiratory tract experienced high mortality rates comparable to viral pneumonia seen with other respiratory viruses in a study involving nearly 970 individuals.

Participants included patients who received a transplant between 1993 and 2015, and had rhinovirus in respiratory samples (n=697), as well as comparative cohorts made up of individuals with respiratory syncytial virus (n=117), parainfluenza virus (n=120), or influenza (n=36). Investigators looked at factors linked with mortality. Among the results:

• 90-day mortality rate in 569 patients with upper tract infection was 6%; it was 41% in 128 patients with lower tract infection.
• Low monocyte count, oxygen use, and steroid dose greater than 1 mg/kg/day before diagnosis were significantly linked with mortality in those with lower tract infection.
• After adjusting for certain variables, mortality after rhinovirus lower tract infection was similar to mortality after lower tract infection by respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus, or influenza.