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The information provided by The Pediatric Group, PLLC website is information of a general nature and is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be relied on for personal medical reasons and should not be relied upon as providing specific medical advice or for diagnosis or treatment. All information contained on this website is presented as is, without any warranties of any kind, express or implied.
Please note that visiting this website alone does not establish a physician-patient relationship with any physician engaged by The Pediatric Group, PLLC. You should consult your own physician for specific advice for your own personal situation.
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RSVThe ABCs of RSV
By Dr. Denise Scott
What is RSV? It is short for respiratory syncytial
virus, a major cause of respiratory illness in young children. RSV
infections occur worldwide, usually from late fall to early
spring. Each year, RSV infections lead to more than 100,000
hospitalizations and over 3,000 deaths, especially in children under 5
years of age.
RSV infection is the most common lower respiratory infection seen
in infants. It is estimated that 90% of children are infected
with this virus by age 2.
In adults and children older than 3 years, RSV typically causes symptoms of a
common cold with runny nose, sore throat, mild cough and low-grade
fever. It can infect the same person several times during a
lifetime, with re-infections usually being less severe than earlier
attacks. Some immunity is developed after an infection but is
never complete.
In children younger than 3 years, RSV can cause a lower respiratory
tract illness such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia. In severe
cases, it can lead to respiratory failure. Symptoms may begin as
a cold but rapidly progress to include fever, severe cough, wheezing,
rapid breathing and difficulty breathing. Infants born
prematurely or those with underlying conditions of the lung, heart or
immune system are at greatest risk to have serious complications from
this illness. This virus is HIGHLY contagious. When RSV infects a
day-care center, it is not unusual to see 100% of the children affected
to some degree.
The virus is found in droplets or discharges from the nose and throat
of an infected person. Therefore, the virus is spread by
breathing in droplets after an infected person has coughed or
hand-to-mouth contact after touching an infected person or a surface
that an infected person has touched or coughed on. The virus can
live on surfaces for hours. Bottom line: wash hands often
and cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, just like Mom always
told you!
Home treatment for RSV includes:
- giving your child plenty of fluids,
saline or salt water drops for the nose and non-aspirin fever medicine
such as acetaminophen.
- Also, use of a cool-mist vaporizer to
humidify the air may help soothe irritated breathing passages
The infection usually lasts 7 to 14 days but may last up to 3
weeks. Once exposed to the virus, it takes 3 to 6 days to develop
symptoms.
Because it is a viral illness, antibiotics are not used to treat this
infection. Younger children may need to be treated in a hospital
or with the use of a nebulizer to deliver medications to the lungs for
breathing difficulty. Most infants and children recover without
problem however, those with more serious infections may be susceptible
to develop long-term lung problems such as reactive airway disease or
asthma.
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