Reduced long-term respiratory morbidity after treatment of respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis with ribavirin in previously healthy infants: a preliminary report

Pediatr Pulmonol. 1998 Mar;25(3):154-8. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0496(199803)25:3<154::aid-ppul4>3.0.co;2-m.

Abstract

Previously healthy infants less than 6 months of age with severe respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis who required hospitalization were identified from hospital records. Infants had been treated either conservatively (control group, n = 19) or with ribavirin added to conservative management (study group, n = 22). All infants underwent a 1-year follow-up after the initial illness. There was a significant reduction in the prevalence of reactive airway disease in the group treated with ribavirin (P < 0.05) compared with the control group, both in terms of the proportion of patients developing airway reactivity (59% vs. 89%) and the number of episodes of reactive airway disease (31 vs. 70). Our data suggest that ribavirin reduces the prevalence of airway reactivity.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Albuterol / administration & dosage
  • Albuterol / therapeutic use
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Asthma / prevention & control
  • Bronchial Hyperreactivity / prevention & control*
  • Bronchiolitis / drug therapy
  • Bronchiolitis / virology*
  • Bronchodilator Agents / administration & dosage
  • Bronchodilator Agents / therapeutic use
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Glucocorticoids / administration & dosage
  • Glucocorticoids / therapeutic use
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Methylprednisolone / administration & dosage
  • Methylprednisolone / therapeutic use
  • Oxygen Inhalation Therapy
  • Prednisone / administration & dosage
  • Prednisone / therapeutic use
  • Prevalence
  • Respiratory Sounds / drug effects
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / drug therapy*
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Ribavirin / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Bronchodilator Agents
  • Glucocorticoids
  • Ribavirin
  • Albuterol
  • Prednisone
  • Methylprednisolone