Editorial

Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Different Criteria for Palivizumab Use in Different Areas?

Authors: Ian Mitchell, MA, MB, FRCPC

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common pathogen causing disease in children worldwide. In the US, RSV infection is the leading cause of infant hospitalization. A small group of diagnostic codes—RSV alone, bronchiolitis secondary to RSV, unspecified bronchiolitis and unspecified pneumonia—are found in at least 120,000 annual admissions in the US, 25% of all of pediatric hospitalizations. The cost of treating RSV infection has been estimated at $1 billion in 2002. There are annual winter epidemics of RSV in North America, but the start time of the epidemics, their duration, and severity (measured by number of hospitalizations) vary from area to area and year to year.1 In the tropics, the epidemics occur in the rainy season.2

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References

1. Stensballe LG, Devasundaram JK, Simoes EA. Respiratory syncytial virus epidemics: the ups and downs of a seasonal virus. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2003;22(2 Suppl):S21–32.
 
2. Weber MW, Mulholland EK, Greenwood BM. Respiratory syncytial virus infection in tropical and developing countries. Trop Med Int Health 1998;3:268–280.
 
3. Chavez-Bueno S, Mejias A, Welliver RC. Respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis: current and future strategies for treatment and prophylaxis. Treat Respir Med 2006;5:483–494.
 
4. Bauman J, Eggleston M, Oquist N, et al. Respiratory syncytial virus: seasonal data from regions of Florida and implications for palivizumab. South Med J 2007;100:669–676.
 
5. Available at: http://doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/epi/RSV/rsv.htm. Accessed on February 26, 2007.