All issues > Volume 49(4); 2006

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2006;49(4):394-400. Published online April 15, 2006.

Lower respiratory tract infection of positive antigen test for respiratory syncytial virus on children under 2 years of age

Jea Heon JH Jeong¹, Kyoung Hee KH Moon¹, Chang Woo CW Lee¹, Du Young DY Choi¹, Yeun Geun YG Oh¹, Hyang Suk HS Yoon¹, Ji Hyun JH Cho², Jong Duck JD Kim¹

¹Departments of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Korea
²Departments of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Korea

Correspondence Jong Duck JD Kim ,Email: kjd20104@wonkwang.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: This study was design and performed for evaluations of resent clinical pattern of bronchiolitis caused by RSV infection with children under 2 year of age for 5 years, who were admitted to pediatric ward.
Methods
: The inclusion criteria of the patients were children under 24 month-of-age, clinical manifestations of lower respiratory tract infection, and RSV antigen that was detected by a direct immunofluorescence test from the nasal secretions. The additional laboratory and simple chest X-ray findings were reviewed from the medical records of children who were admitted Wonkwang university hospital from Jan. 1999 to Dec. 2003.
Results
: In the 5 year study duration, 127 patients were enrolled and outbreak of RSV bronchiolitis took place in 2001. The 80 cases(63 percent) of RSV infection were concentrated in later autumn and winter. Number of the cases show coughing were 120(94.5 percent), but rale was audible in 78 cases(61.4 percent). Dyspnea, wheezing, and intercostal retraction were noticed in 27(21.3 percent), 21(16.5 percent), and 4(3 percent) cases respectively. The most common chest X-ray finding was hyperinflation of the lung that was noticed in 110 cases(86.6 percent). Care with mechanical ventilator for more than 2 days required in 5 cases.
Conclusion
: Lower respiratory tract infection by RSV was common in late autumn and winter season but year-round infection was noticed. The severity of RSV respiratory tract infectiontakes in some degree a grave course. So we suggest that population-based surveillance of acute respiratory infection due to RSV is necessary for assessment of prevalence and epidemiology of this disease.

Keywords :Bronchiolitis , Respiratory syncytial virus