Epidemiological, clinical, and subclinical characteristics of children under 2 years old with Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital

Abstract

Pneumonia is the leading cause of morbidity, increasing hospitalization and mortality rates, especially in children under 5 years old in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and subclinical characteristics of 150 children under 2 years old with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection at the Department of Respiratory, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics hospital. Results showed that the pneumonia in children infected with RSV occurred mainly in children under 12 months and more common in boys than girls with a ratio of 1.9/1. Children infected with RSV mainly distributed from January to March and gradually increasing from August to September and mostly in rural areas. The most common respiratory symptoms were airway inflammation, tachypnea, chest indrawing, and rales of lung sounds. Subclinically, the number of white blood cells and CRP was mostly within normal limits, and there were images of damage on X-ray films, including increased bronchial branches, air congestion, and collapsed lungs. It is necessary to strengthen education for parents to recognize clinical signs and symptoms of pneumonia in children in order to detect the disease early and take children to the hospital for timely examination and treatment.