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What is RSV?
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RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus, the most frequent cause of serious respiratory tract infections in infants and children younger than 4 years of age. This is such a common virus that virtually all children have been infected by RSV by the age of 3.1 In most young children, it results in a mild respiratory infection that is not distinguishable from a common cold. Only severe RSV lower respiratory tract infection should be treated with VIRAZOLE®. The vast majority of infants and children with RSV infection have disease that is mild, self-limited, and does not require hospitalization or antiviral treatment.
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When does RSV occur?
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RSV occurs throughout the year and is most prevalent during the winter months.
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What are the symptoms of RSV?
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RSV causes nasal stuffiness and discharge, cough, and sometimes ear infections. It is usually self-limiting and does not require hospitalization or specific treatment, even in the majority of those who also have lower respiratory tract involvement. These children may have a low-grade fever for several days, respiratory symptoms that may last for 1 to 2 weeks, and cough that sometimes persists beyond 2 weeks.
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Can RSV be serious?
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Yes. An infant or young child who is experiencing his or her first RSV infection may develop a severe infection in the lower respiratory tract that is best managed in the hospital. Approximately 100,000 children are hospitalized with these infections each year.2 Most commonly, the ones requiring hospitalization are newborns and infants and those who have other complicating or underlying conditions, such as congenital heart, lung disease or prematurity.
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How do l know if my child has a serious RSV infection?
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A child who develops signs of more stressful breathing, deeper and more frequent coughing, and who generally acts sicker by appearing tired, less playful, and less interested in food may have developed a more serious RSV infection. Only your doctor can tell for sure.
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When should l call the doctor?
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As in any case of illness, you should call your pediatrician whenever you are worried about your child. He or she can best decide with you whether the symptoms and behavior you describe suggests that your baby should be seen. In general, pediatricians prefer to examine ill infants in person, as severity may be impossible to determine over the phone.
Certainly, if the respiratory symptoms appear to interfere with your baby's ability to sleep or drink, or if the baby appears to have difficult or rapid breathing, you should call your pediatrician. If your child is younger than 1 year of age and has an underlying disease such as heart disease or lung disease, or was premature, with lung disease developing after birth, you should let your physician know whenever the baby develops a respiratory infection.
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If my child should get an RSV infection, how is it treated?
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In the great majority of cases, RSV infection is self-limiting and
requires no specific therapy. If your child has a fever, your
pediatrician may prescribe some medication to control it. If he or she
develops an ear infection associated with RSV, antibiotics may be
prescribed. Most children exhibiting the respiratory symptoms commonly
associated with RSV (such as a stuffy nose and cough) require no
treatment. If, however, your child has more severe symptoms of lower
RSV infection and needs hospitalization, then specific antiviral
treatment with VIRAZOLE® (ribavirin®) for
inhalation solution may be administered. Whether your physician decides
to use this drug, which is administered in a mist form, will depend on
the severity of the illness, any associated diseases or conditions, and
several other factors.
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Where does RSV come from, and how can l prevent my child from being
infected?
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Children and adults of all ages can become infected. The infection in
older children and adults may be very mild, usually causing cold-like
symptoms. A person becomes infected by coming in close contact with
another infected person or with the secretions from an infected person.
An infant usually acquires the infection from close contact with an
older family member who may have only mild, cold-like symptoms. As
noted earlier, RSV occurs throughout the year, but because it occurs in
wide-scale, sudden out-breaks, and is so prevalent in the winter
months, it is not feasible or advisable to attempt to prevent the
normal child's exposure to RSV infection. When a family member is
infected, extra precautions may be taken by washing hands often and
preventing the spread of infectious secretions on tissues and objects.
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Can my child get RSV again?
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Although a child can get a second RSV infection, it is very likely that the symptoms will be much milder than the first time.
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Will RSV weaken my child's lungs and make them more susceptible to respiratory infection in the future?
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Most children recover completely and will handle their next respiratory infection with no more difficulty than the average child. A few children, however, appear to be more susceptible to subsequent respiratory problems. Susceptibility may relate, however, to some other underlying medical condition or allergy.
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1. La Via WV, Marks MI Stutmun HR.Respiratory syncytial virus puzzle: clinical features pathophysiology, treatment and prevention. J Pediatrics 1992;121:503-510.
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2. Shay DK, Holman RC, Roosevelt GE, Clark MJ, Anderson LJ. Brochiolitis
- associated mortality and estimates of respiratory syncytial virus - associated
deaths among U.S. Children, 1979-1997. J Infect Dis. 2001; 183;16-22.
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