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Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Human respiratory syncytial virus natural history, complications and prognosis

Introduction

Natural History

Natural History

RSV primarily infects the ciliated epithelial cells of the airways, causing bronchiolitis characterized by mucus in the airways, sloughed epithelial cell debris, and abundant neutrophils. The accumulation of mucus in the airways is a hallmark of RSV-induced lower respiratory infections (LRIs) and can lead to pulmonary obstruction.[1]

Complications

Complications

  • Bronchiolitis[2]
  • Pneumonia[2]
  • Asthma exacerbation[3]
  • Otitis media[4]
  • Apnea[5]
  • RSV encephalitis
  • Near-miss sudden infant death syndrome
  • RSV myocarditis[6][7]
References

References

  1. ↑ Meng J, Stobart CC, Hotard AL, Moore ML (2014). “An overview of respiratory syncytial virus”. PLoS Pathog. 10 (4): e1004016. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1004016. PMC 3999198. PMID 24763387.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Piedimonte G, Perez MK (2014). “Respiratory syncytial virus infection and bronchiolitis”. Pediatr Rev. 35 (12): 519–30. doi:10.1542/pir.35-12-519. PMC 5029757. PMID 25452661.
  3. ↑ Wu P, Hartert TV (2011). “Evidence for a causal relationship between respiratory syncytial virus infection and asthma”. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 9 (9): 731–45. doi:10.1586/eri.11.92. PMC 3215509. PMID 21905783.
  4. ↑ Phillips M, Finelli L, Saiman L, Wang C, Choi Y, Patel J (2020). “Respiratory Syncytial Virus-associated Acute Otitis Media in Infants and Children”. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 9 (5): 544–550. doi:10.1093/jpids/piaa094. PMID 32886769 Check |pmid= value (help).
  5. ↑ “Apnea Induced by Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection is no… : The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal”. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  6. ↑ Mori M, Kawashima H, Nakamura H, Nakagawa M, Kusuda S, Saji T; et al. (2011). “Nationwide survey of severe respiratory syncytial virus infection in children who do not meet indications for palivizumab in Japan”. J Infect Chemother. 17 (2): 254–63. doi:10.1007/s10156-010-0121-1. PMID 20872156.
  7. ↑ Kawashima H, Inagaki N, Nakayama T, Morichi S, Nishimata S, Yamanaka G; et al. (2021). “Cardiac Complications Caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection: Questionnaire Survey and a Literature Review”. Glob Pediatr Health. 8: 2333794X211044114. doi:10.1177/2333794X211044114. PMC 8436282 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 34527765 Check |pmid= value (help).

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Bassel Almarie M.D.[2]