title: Opportunities for early therapy of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection: what happens before hospitalization.
abstract: RSV loads of infants are already declining near the time of hospitalization. For optimal effect, antiviral and other RSV therapeutics therefore may need to be applied before this occurs. 134 RSV-hospitalized infants were studied to determine the timing of events and their healthcare seeking behavior prior to hospitalization. Sixty-two percent of infants had contact with a health care professional > or = 1 day prior to hospitalization and 46% had such a contact on > or = 2 different days prior to hospitalization. The mean (S.D.) duration of RSV symptoms prior to hospitalization was 3.9 +/- 2.3 days and prior to first health care contact was 2.6 +/- 1.8 days. RSV-hospitalized infants routinely have contact with health care professionals at significantly early time points in their illness. These contacts are potential opportunities for initiation of early anti-RSV therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee and the Children's Foundation Research Center, 4th floor CFRC, LBCMC, 50 North Dunlap St., Memphis, TN 38103, USA. Jdevincenzo@utmem.edu
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: DeVincenzo
authors.forename: Jody B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Aitken
authors.forename: Lisa G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D003422:Critical Care; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007348:Insurance, Health; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors