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Respiratory syncytial virus infection

Last reviewed: 1 Nov 2024
Last updated: 23 Aug 2024

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • exposure to RSV
  • infants at high risk for RSV infection
  • winter season
  • older adult age
  • immune deficiency
  • rhinorrhea/congestion
  • tachypnea
  • increased work of breathing
  • cough
  • wheeze
  • poor feeding
  • cyanosis
  • rales
  • apnea
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • fever
Full details

Risk factors

  • exposure to RSV
  • hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease
  • history of prematurity
  • immune deficiency
  • chronic lung disease
  • indigenous/American-Indians/Alaska native infants and young children
  • infants aged <6 months
  • winter season
  • older adult age
  • smoke exposure
  • family history of asthma
  • Down syndrome
Full details

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • pulse oximetry
Full details

Tests to consider

  • chest x-ray
  • hydration status
  • rapid antigen detection from respiratory specimen (e.g., nasopharyngeal aspirate)
  • reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction of respiratory specimen (e.g., nasopharyngeal aspirate)
  • viral culture of respiratory specimen (e.g., nasopharyngeal aspirate)
Full details

Treatment algorithm

ACUTE

mild or self-limited illness

moderate illness

severe illness

Contributors

Authors

Giovanni Piedimonte, MD, FAAP, FCCP

Vice President for Research

Professor of Pediatrics, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Tulane University School of Medicine

New Orleans

LA

Disclosures

GP declares that he has no competing interests.

Margot Anderson, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Section of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Medicine

Tulane University School of Medicine

Tulane University

New Orleans

LA

Disclosures

MA declares that she has no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

Dr Giovanni Piedimonte and Dr Margot Anderson would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Frank Esper and Dr Melvin L. Wright, previous contributors to this topic.

Disclosures

FE is on an advisory board for Procter and Gamble. MLW declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Leonard R. Krilov, MD

Chief

Pediatric Infectious Disease

Vice Chairman

Department of Pediatrics

Children's Medical Center

Winthrop University Medical Center

Mineola

Professor of Pediatrics

School of Medicine

Stony Brook University Medical Center

Stony Brook

NY

Disclosures

LRK has participated as an investigator in multiple clinical research trials supported by grants from MedImmune. LRK has also served as a consultant to MedImmune on medical advisory boards and is a member of their speakers' bureau.

Robert Welliver, MD

Professor of Pediatrics

Women and Children's Hospital

Buffalo

NY

Disclosures

RW declares that he has no competing interests.

Jennifer Handforth, MB ChB, MRCPCH, DTM&H

Consultant Paediatrician

Croydon University Hospital

Croydon

UK

Disclosures

JH declares that she has no competing interests.

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