title: Rhinovirus infection and healthcare utilisation in prematurely born infants.
abstract: Our aim was to determine whether rhinovirus (RV) lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in prematurely born infants increase health-related cost of care during infancy. 153 infants born at <36 weeks of gestation were prospectively followed to 1 year. Cost of care was calculated from the National Health Service reference costing scheme and healthcare utilisation determined by examining hospital/general practitioner records. 20 infants developed RV LRTIs (RV group), 17 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) LRTIs (RSV group), 12 both RV and RSV LRTIs (RV/RSV group) and 74 had no LRTI (no LRTI group). Compared with the no LRTI group, the RV/RSV LRTI group had the greatest increase in adjusted mean cost (difference GBP 5769), followed by the RV LRTI group (difference GBP 278) and, finally, the RSV LRTI group (difference GBP 172) (p=0.045). The RV group had more outpatient (p<0.05) and respiratory-related general practitioner (p<0.05) attendances, more wheezed at follow-up (p<0.001) than the no LRTI group and more had respiratory-related outpatient attendances than the RSV LRTI group (p<0.05). We conclude that RV LRTIs were associated with increased health-related cost of care during infancy; our results suggest that the RV group compared with the RSV group suffered greater chronic respiratory morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Allergy and Lung Biology, MRC-Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, King's College London, London.
authors.forename: Simon B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Drysdale
authors.forename: Mireia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alcazar-Paris
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Melvyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zuckerman
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Broughton
authors.forename: Gerrard F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Rafferty
authors.forename: Janet L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.forename: Sebastian L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Greenough
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D013997:Time Factors