All issues > Volume 53(3); 2010

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2010;53(3):358-363. Published online March 15, 2010.

Effect of SynagisⓇ (palivizumab) prophylaxis on readmission due to respiratory syncytial virus in very low birth weight infants

Soo Kyoung SK Park¹, Yu Jin YJ Jung², Hye Soo HS Yoo¹, So Yoon SY Ahn¹, Hyun Joo HJ Seo¹, Seo Heui SH Choi¹, Myo Jing MJ Kim³, Ga Won GW Jeon⁴, Soo Hyun SH Koo⁵, Kyung-Hoon KH Lee⁶, Yun Sil YS Chang¹, Won Soon WS Park¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Pediatrics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
³Department of Pediatrics, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
⁴Department of Pediatrics, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
⁵Department of Pediatrics, Masan Samsung Hospital, Masan, Korea
⁶Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Won Soon WS Park ,Email: wonspark@skku.edu

Received: October 16, 2009; Revised: December 16, 2009   Accepted: February 14, 2010.

Abstract

Purpose
: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of SynagisⓇ (palivizumab) in reducing the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) readmission rate in very low birth weight infants (VLBWI ) and the subgroup that showed the most effective vaccination.
Methods
: We enrolled 350 VLBWI who had been discharged alive from the neonatal intensive care unit of Samsung Medical Center from January 2005 to December 2007 and were followed up for at least one year. A retrospective study based on medical records was performed for a period of one year after discharge. RSV readmission rate was investigated according to BPD (bronchopulmonary dysplasia, requiring oxygen at postnatal day 28) and SynagisⓇ prophylaxis. We categorized the subgroups by the severity of BPD gestational age, and birth weight and compared the RSV readmission rates between subgroups.
Results
: Eleven VLBWI were readmitted. SynagisⓇ prophylaxis resulted in a 86% reduction in the rate of readmission due to RSV infection (prophylaxis group, 0.7% and no prophylaxis group, 5.0%; P=0.02). Readmission rate in BPD patients was also reduced in the prophylaxis group (0.7% in the prophylaxis group vs. 5.2% in the no prophylaxis group, P= 0.03). The readmission rate in patients without BPD was reduced in the prophylaxis group (0% in the prophylaxis group vs. 4.9% in the no prophylaxis group, P=1.00), but this was not statistically significant.
Conclusion
: SynagisⓇ prophylaxis was effective at reducing RSV readmission in VLBWI. Its efficacy was verified irrespective of BPD, gestational age, or birth weight.

Keywords :RSV, SynagisⓇ, Very low birth weight, Readmission