Allergy Asthma Respir Dis.  2013 Mar;1(1):84-89. 10.4168/aard.2013.1.1.84.

The clinical characteristics in infantile bronchiolitis and pneumonia according to respiratory syncytial virus subgroups: experience of single tertiary medical center from 2010 to 2012

• Yoon GH
• Kim YH

• KMID: 2263065
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2013.1.1.84

Abstract

PURPOSE
The most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). We evaluated the clinical characteristics according to RSV subgroup in infantile bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
METHODS
This study enrolled infants with bronchiolitis or pneumonia infected by single virus. Virus infection was confirmed by respiratory virus reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in two consecutive seasons (2010-2011, 2011-2012). They were divided into 3 groups: group 1 with RSV A, group 2 with RSV B, and group 3 with other virus. We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts to collect data on the hospitalized patients.
RESULTS
Seventy four and 181 infants were included in the two seasons, respectively. The most common virus was RSV B in 2010-2011 and RSV A in 2011.2012. Among 255 infants, 55% (141/255) were group 1, 20% (49/255) group 2, 25% (65/255) group 3. Infants younger than 3 months were 55%. There were no significant age differences between groups. In comparison to group 3, group 1 and 2 showed frequent abnormal chest auscultation, high symptom severity score and need for systemic corticosteroid (P<0.05). In comparison to group 1 and 3, group 2 had longer hospitalization and time to need for normalization of lung sound (P<0.05). The recurrence rates within 6 months showed no significant differences between groups.
CONCLUSION
The RSV subgroup changed from one year to another. Patients' clinical manifestations and symptom severity may vary according to infected virus subgroup.

Keyword

Infant; Respiratory syncytial viruses; Bronchiolitis; Pneumonia

MeSH Terms

Auscultation
Bronchiolitis
Hospitalization
Humans
Infant
Pneumonia
Recurrence
Respiratory Sounds
Respiratory Syncytial Viruses
Retrospective Studies
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Seasons
Thorax
Viruses

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Proportion of infants according to virus species from September 2010 to May 2011 (A), and from September 2011 to May 2012 (B). RSV, respiratory syncytial virus.

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  Fig. 2. Annual distribution of virus in infants with lower respiratory infection, from September 2010 to May 2011, and from September 2011 to May 2012. RSV, respiratory syncytial virus.

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  Fig. 3. Gender proportion according to virus species in infants with lower respiratory infection. RSV, respiratory syncytial virus.

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  Fig. 4. Age proportion according to virus species in infants with lower respiratory infection. RSV, respiratory syncytial virus.

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  Fig. 5. Symptom severity score according to virus species in infants with lower respiratory infection. RSV, respiratory syncytial virus.

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