Association of Mycoplasma pneumoniae coinfection with adenovirus pneumonia severity in children

Abstract

Between the winter of 2018 and the end of 2019, there has been an epidemic of adenovirus infection in southern China, including Zhejiang Province. The number of children suffering from adenovirus pneumonia (AP) has significantly increased. AP can be accompanied by Mycoplasma pneumoniae in children. This study aimed to investigate the association of M. pneumoniae and identify the risk factors for coinfection on hospitalized patients with AP. The patients were classified into two groups by etiologic analysis (single AP and AP with M. pneumoniae coinfection groups). The clinical manifestations, clinical medication, and laboratory and imaging findings of the two groups were compared and analyzed. The coinfection group (n = 125) had a significantly longer duration of fever than the single AP group (n = 171; P = 0.03). Shortness of breath (P = 0.023) and pulmonary imaging findings, such as pulmonary consolidation, atelectasis, pleural effusion, and multilobe lesions (P < 0.05), were more common in the coinfection group. The patients with coinfection had more severe symptoms, significantly longer hospitalization time and an increased proportion of using glucocorticoids and/or immunoglobulin needing oxygen inhalation (P < 0.05). The incidence of AP with M. pneumoniae coinfection is high. The prolonged fever duration and pulmonary imaging findings could be used as prediction factors to predict M. pneumoniae coinfection in children with AP. Patients with AP coinfected with MP may easily develop severe illness. Hence, a reasonable change in the treatment is necessary.