title: [Respiratory infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus in the adult population: description of 16 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Respiratory infections of viral etiology are frequent in the adult population. Those caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are a little known entity. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of adult patients with respiratory infection due to RSV.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a prospective study from October 2012 to March 2013 on respiratory infections caused by RSV. Viral detection was performed using a technique of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction genomic amplification in real time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We diagnosed 16 patients, 12 (75%) requiring hospitalization. Patients were grouped into immunocompromised (7 [43.7%]) and immunocompetent cases (9 cases 56.3%]). The first group included 3 patients with HIV infection (42.8%) and 4 hematologic patients (57.2%). The second group included those who had a baseline disease, 5 cases (55.5%), and those who lacked it, 4 cases (44.4%), and did not require hospitalization. The main clinical manifestations of patients prompting them to attend the Emergency Department were cough (50%), dyspnea (43.5%), fever (25%), expectoration (25%) and flu symptoms (25%). The most frequent diagnoses at discharge were pneumonia (37.5%) and flu syndrome (31.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Respiratory infections caused by RSV represent a rare condition that mainly affects immunocompromised patients. The underlying pathology determines the evolution of the process, which is favorable except in cases of severe immunosuppression.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Virología, Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Son Espases, Palma de Mallorca, España. jorge.reina@ssib.es
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reina
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: López
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D063189:Symptom Assessment; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Adultos; Adults; Infección respiratoria; Respiratory infections; Respiratory syncytial virus; Virus respiratorio sincitial