Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been identified as a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in young children and elderly. Limited data are available on the clinical profile and outcome in neonates from India. We describe clinical profile and outcome data of neonates infected with RSV. A total of 14 neonates with acute respiratory illness (ARI) requiring newborn intensive care unit (NICU) admission were tested for respiratory virus infection. All 14 (100%) tested positive for RSV-A infection. Of these positive cases, 11 (78.57%) were NICU graduates. Cough, cold, and respiratory distress was observed to be the chief complain in 13 (92.85%) neonates. All except 2 required respiratory support. Total duration of respiratory support and hospital stay was 7 (3-12) and 8 (5-14) days, respectively. All the RSV-infected patients showed complete recovery. We observed that predominantly NICU graduates were susceptible to RSV illness with a slight male preponderance. Amongst infected, majority presented with ARI requiring respiratory support. The severity was more in NICU graduates who were born very preterm.
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