Clinico demographic profiling of the Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infected children admitted in tertiary care hospital in North India.

BACKGROUND: Acute bronchiolitis is fatal disease involving lower respiratory tract of infants and children of paediatric age group. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is responsible for causing more than 70% hospital admissions of children aged less than 2 years thus making a necessity for accurate and timely diagnosis.

AIMS: The main aim of study was clinicodemographic correlation of RSV positive children presenting to our tertiary care hospital.

SETTING AND DESIGN: It is a retrospective study done between December to January 2018.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Detection of RSV antigen from nasophyrangeal aspirates using Mouse Monoclonal anti RSV Antibody (by Novatetra) and Goat Anti Mouse Antibody conjugated with FITC as secondary antibody.

RESULTS: A total of 147 samples were received in the laboratory and 20 were tested as positive for RSV Antigen. Totally, 19/20 children were aged less than 1 year and with a male predominance. The most common symptom was cough and respiratory distress. Eight percent of the children showed wheezing and 18/20 required assisted ventilation. The clinical course in one child deteriorated leading to death of that patient.

CONCLUSIONS: The timely diagnosis and management of RSV infected children is utmost needed to prevent morbidity and mortality. The premorbid conditions can assist to differentiate the viral from bacterial pneumonia and thus enable speedy recovery of the child.