Hospital-Acquired Viral Respiratory Tract Infections in the Neonatal Unit: A Comparison with Other Inpatient Groups.

Background: Hospital-acquired viral respiratory tract infections (VRTIs) cause significant morbidity and mortality in neonatal patients. This includes escalation of respiratory support, increased length of hospital stay, and need for home oxygen, as well as higher healthcare costs. To date, no studies have compared population rates of VRTIs across age groups.