title: Epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus infection in infants born at less than thirty-five weeks of gestational age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aims of this study were to observe the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalization rate and to identify the risk factors for hospitalization for RSV infection among infants in Korea born at <35 weeks of gestational age and who had not previously received palivizumab.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a study over a 2.5-year period (between April 2007 and September 2009) that included premature infants (<35 weeks of gestational age) who underwent follow-up during 1 year after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit. Demographic information was collected for each subject at baseline, and the reasons for hospitalization were obtained during the 1-year follow-up period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study population included 1022 subjects who completed follow-up interviews. Eight hundred seventeen infants were included in analysis for RSV hospitalization. Excluded from the study were 167 subjects with chronic lung disease who had received palivizumab prophylaxis and 38 subjects who were not tested for RSV. The overall incidence of RSV hospitalization in the group that did not receive palivizumab was 4.5% (37 of 817 patients). Independent risk factors associated with RSV hospitalization were multiple gestation (P = 0.022) and longer duration of mechanical ventilation in the neonatal intensive care unit (P = 0.039).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed the epidemiology and risk factors of RSV hospitalization in preterm infants in Korea. RSV infection was one of the main causes of hospitalization after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit in patients born at <35 weeks of gestational age.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Konkuk University Hospital, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Byong Sop
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ai-Rhan
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hye Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Beyong Il
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun Song
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Woo Taek
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: JaeWoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: SeungYeon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun-Seung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: ShinYun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Byun
authors.forename: Dong Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Chee
authors.forename: Ki-Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009099:Multiple Birth Offspring; D000069455:Palivizumab; D011446:Prospective Studies; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000069455:Palivizumab