Severe measles-associated pneumonia treated with assisted ventilation.

Measles-associated pneumonia, which was severe enough to require mechanical ventilation, caused a mortality of 64%. The main indications for special respiratory care were severe infection and hypoxaemia. Complications of the disease occurred in 78% of the patients. The commonest were anaemia, enteritis and cardiac failure, and they contributed to the grave prognosis. Viral pneumonia was present in most of the patients who died; superinfection was rare. The characteristics of measles virus was present in 30% and of adenovirus in no less that 40%.