Compliance and Practice with Current Recommendations for RSV Prophylaxis In Infants and Young Children with Congenital Heart Disease

摘要

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common causes of infection of the lower respiratory tract in infants and young children. In the United States RSV is responsible for 90,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths each year 1, 1. Fleming, Pannell, and Cross3 reported that the average death rate from RSV is 6.7 per 100,000 population. Infants with congenital cardiac defects are at greater risk because changes associated with congestive heart failure and cardiac defects limit the ability to compensate during viral bronchiolitis, which in turn increases morbidity and mortality associated with this viral illness4,5. The infection can cause serious illness, prolonged hospitalization, and increased post-operative complications after surgical repair for children with congenital heart malformations6' 7 '8. There may also be long term sequelae, proven by a number of studies linking the infection with increased risk of subsequent development of reactive airway disease9,10, 11 compromising the ability of children with congenital heart disease to return to baseline.