Respiratory syncytial virus, infants and intensive therapy

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Virology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Acute low respiratory tract infections are a significant cause of hospitalization in infants.
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common pathogen in pediatric respiratory infections.
• Understanding RSV's impact in critically ill infants is crucial for resource allocation and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of RSV in infants hospitalized with acute low respiratory tract infection in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs).
• To assess the clinical features and outcomes of RSV-infected infants compared to non-infected infants.
• To evaluate the need for PICU resources based on RSV status.

Main Methods:

• Nasopharyngeal secretions from 21 hospitalized infants were tested for RSV using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
• Clinical data including mechanical ventilation, medications, invasive procedures, complications, and case fatality were collected.
• Statistical analysis was performed using Mann Whitney and Fisher's exact tests to compare RSV positive and negative groups.

Main Results:

• RSV was detected in 8 (38.1%) of the 21 infants.
• The majority of infants required mechanical pulmonary ventilation (85.7%), and most experienced at least one complication (95.2%).
• No significant differences were observed between RSV positive and negative groups regarding intensive care evolution, complications, or case fatality (14.3%).

Conclusions:

• Infants admitted to PICUs with acute low respiratory tract infections were critically ill, requiring extensive resources regardless of RSV presence.
• The study suggests that RSV may not be the sole determinant of severity in this critically ill pediatric population.
• Larger cohort studies are recommended to further elucidate the specific impact of RSV on clinical outcomes in Brazilian PICUs.