Diagnostic value of real-time polymerase chain reaction to detect viruses in young children admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit with lower respiratory tract infection

Table 2 Viruses identified by conventional methods and real-time PCR

Pathogen	Viral culture (n = 21)	Immunofluorescence (n = 22)	Real-time PCR (n = 23)
RSV A/B	4	7	16 (9)
Influenzavirus A/B	0	2	3 (1)
Rhinoviruses	0		6 (2)
Adenoviruses	2	2	3 (1)
Coronavirus OC43, 229E, NL63			3
hMPV			1 (1)
PIV 1/3	0	0	1
PIV 2/4	0	0	0
Chlamydia pneumoniae			0
Mycoplasma pneumoniae			0
Indeterminate		4
Total positive	6^a	11^a	33

Numbers in parentheses indicate single infections. ^aSingle infections. hMPV, human metapneumovirus; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PIV, parainfluenzavirus; RSV, respiratory syncytial virus.

ISSN: 1364-8535