Research article
BK viremia in critically ill surgical patients with hemorrhagic or septic shock
1 Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Ulm, Steinhoevelstr. 9, 89075 Ulm, Germany
2 Institute of Virology and Immunobiology, University Wuerzburg, Versbacher Str.7, 97078 Wuerzburg, Germany
3 Department of Experimental Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Medical School Ulm, Steinhoevelstr. 9, 89075 Ulm, Germany
BMC Research Notes 2012, 5:100 doi:10.1186/1756-0500-5-100
Published: 16 February 2012Abstract
Background
Infections with polyomavirus BK virus (BKV) are a common cause of renal dysfunction after renal transplantation and may also be harmful in surgical patients with shock. The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of BKV viremia in critically ill surgical patients with septic or hemorrhagic shock, and, if viremia is detectable, whether viremia may be associated with renal dysfunction.
Findings
A total of 125 plasma samples from 44 critically ill surgical patients with septic or hemorrhagic shock were tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for BKV DNA during their stay on the intensive care unit (ICU). BKV viremia occurred in four patients, i.e. in three of the septic and in one of the hemorrhagic shock group. There was no association between viremia and renal dysfunction. All positive samples contained a low viral load (< 500 copies/ml).
Conclusions
Since BK viremia was rarely found and with low viral load only in critically ill surgical patients with shock, it is very unlikely that BK viremia results in BK nephropathy later on.
