title: Respiratory syncytial virus in patients with congenital heart disease: a contemporary look at epidemiology and success of preoperative screening.
abstract: Awareness of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as a serious pathogen in the child with congenital heart disease is increasing. We studied the impact of RSV lower respiratory tract disease on patients in a large academic pediatric cardiology practice. We found that RSV disease necessitating hospitalization occurs in congenital heart disease patients well into the second year of life. Although pulmonary hypertension remains a significant risk factor for morbidity in these patients, it does not appear to be as much of a factor as in the past. By implementing a nasopharyngeal RSV enzyme-linked immunoassay screening of young patients prior to cardiac surgery we found a reduction in community-acquired postoperative RSV disease. We postulate this will lead to a reduction in nosocomial disease in the postoperative care unit.
authors.affiliation: Lillie Frank Abercrombie Section of Pediatric Cardiology, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Altman
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Englund
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Demmler
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Drescher
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Watrin
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Feltes
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D017722:Hospital Charges; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007902:Length of Stay; D018579:Patient Selection; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology