Predictors of severity and mortality in children hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus infection in a tropical region.

Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the leading causes of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in infants and young children. Although ALRI is a major public health problem in developing countries located in tropical areas, studies about RSV epidemiology in these regions are scarce.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, we investigated the epidemiology and predictive variables that reflect disease severity and mortality in young children hospitalized with ALRI due to RSV in Colombia, South-America, during a 2-year period (2009-2011).