Analysis of palivizumab prophylaxis in patients with acute lower respiratory tract infection caused by respiratory syncytial virus

Purpose: The aimofthis study wasto identify the clinical characteristics of lower respiratory tract infection due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in young children and to provide information for an effective guideline for palivizumab administration in Korea. Methods: We reviewed medical charts of 167 patients under 3 years of age who were hospitalized in Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital for lower respiratory tract infection between January 2007 and February 2011. Diagnosis of the virus was made based on the multiplex real time polymerase chain reaction. Results: There were 113 patients who were infected by respiratory syncytial virus. 90 patients were term infants and 23 patients were preterm infants. No difference was shown between term and preterm infants except the days of admission which was 9.0±6.0 days and 12.6±21.0 days respectively. In the preterm group their mean age at the time of admission was 5.21±4.9 months and the mean gestational age was 33.1±4.3 weeks, and the mean birth weight was 2,152±950 g. Only 4 patients were born under 28 weeks gestational age and were candidates for palivizumab administration. Conclusion: Most of the patients with severe RSV lower respiratory tract infection were termor near term infants who were not candidates for palivizumab prophylaxis. A nationwide study is needed to make a new risk stratified guideline for RSV prophylaxis for our country.