Resp Care
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Review
Systematic review of the biology and medical management of respiratory syncytial virus infection.
Respiratory syncytial virus, the leading cause of serious upper and lower respiratory tract infection in infants and children, accounts for 125,000 hospitalizations and 450 deaths annually in the United States. It also may predispose to development of asthma later in life. Annual epidemics occur from November to April, and virtually all infants are infected by age 2. ⋯ The cost of the prophylactic antibody treatment is high; it is cost-effective for only the highest risk patients. Development of a vaccine remains far in the future. Application of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines is making both out-patient and in-patient therapy as effective and economical as possible.
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Respiratory distress syndrome is the most common respiratory disorder in preterm infants. Over the last decade, because of improvements in neonatal care and increased use of antenatal steroids and surfactant replacement therapy, mortality from respiratory distress syndrome has dropped substantially. ⋯ To obtain best results, a multidisciplinary approach is crucial. This review discusses surfactant replacement therapy and some of the current strategies in ventilatory management of preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome.