Risk Factors for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections in Moderate/Late Premature Infants in Turkey: A Prospective Multicenter Epidemiological Study.

Objective: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most prevalent causes of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). The primary objective of this study is to provide the risk modelling of confirmed RSV infection in children who were born preterm at 29 to 35 weeks of gestational age and presented with LRTI.

Study Design: This prospective, multicenter study was performed between October 2015 and March 2017. Premature infants born with gestational age between 29 and 35 weeks that were ≤2 years of age at the beginning of the RSV season and admitted to the hospital with clinical findings of LRTI during the season were included. RSV-positive and -negative infants were compared in terms of demographic features, risk factors, and requirement of hospitalization.

Results: RSV positive group was lower than RSV negative group and ratio of ≤3 months age at admission was significant higher in RSV (+) group. RSV-positive infants were found to be significantly born during or 3 months prior to RSV season. The rate and duration of hospitalization and need for mechanical ventilation were significantly higher in RSV positive infants. The rate and duration of hospitalization in RSV positive patients was related to the chronological age.

Conclusion: This study showed that preterm infants with RSV-associated LRTI significantly needed more hospitalization, intensive care admission, and mechanical ventilation. In addition need of hospitalization and duration of hospitalization were significant higher in ≤3 months of age. Therefore, we suggest the importance of palivizumab prophylaxis in infants ≤ 3 months chronological age, especially during the RSV season.