Prevention of syncytial respiratory virus infection with palivizumab: descriptive and comparative analysis after 12 years of use.
BACKGROUND
The use of palivizumab has been recommended to prevent syncytial respiratory virus (SRV) infection in vulnerable children.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective study of hospital admissions for bronchiolitis from 2000 to 2012 in the context of a prevention study with palivizumab in at-risk newborns.


RESULTS
A total of 952 children (59.5% males) were admitted due to bronchiolitis. Admissions occurred in younger children in the SRV+ cases compared to the SRV- cases (P<0.001). Additionally, 641 children were treated with Palivizumab at our service. Sixty of these children (9.8%) were admitted due to bronchiolitis and SRV was detected in 22 of them (3.4%). Fifty (7.8%) had underlying diseases, 6 (0.9%) presented with a history of perinatal infection and 20 (3.12%) had been part of a multiple birth. The treated children with some additional risk factor presented a greater risk of admission due to bronchiolitis (OR=1.99, P=0.045); however, this was not observed for admissions due to SRV (P=0.945).


CONCLUSIONS
Children treated with Palivizumab showed a lower rate of SRV infection, despite having more risk factors associated with a higher risk of infection or complications.
Unit of Clinical Pediatrics, San Cecilio University Hospital, Granada, Spain.
Eduardo
E
Narbona-Lopez
Unit of Clinical Pediatrics, San Cecilio University Hospital, Granada, Spain - juberos@ugr.es.
José
J
Uberos
Unit of Clinical Pediatrics, San Cecilio University Hospital, Granada, Spain.
Ana
A
Checa-Ros
St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.
Rocio
R
Rodriguez-Belmonte
Unit of Clinical Pediatrics, San Cecilio University Hospital, Granada, Spain.
Antonio
A
Muñoz-Hoyos
D000367:Age Factors; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D000069455:Palivizumab / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000069455:Palivizumab