RESUMEN
Background and study aim: Respiratory syncytial virus [RSV] is one of the major causes of viral respiratory tract disease in young children and infants. In children less than one year-old, it was the principal cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia and, a common cause of hospitalization in young children. We aim to study the prevalence of RSV and its subtypes in pediatric patients suffering from pneumonia and broncho-pneumonia with the evaluation of routinely used method for diagnosis
Patients and Method: This study included 68 patients, attended the pediatric hospital, faculty of medicine-Cairo University at the period between 2007-2008, who exhibited lower respiratory tract symptoms in the form of pneumonia and bronchopneumonia. They were subjected to clinical examination, chest X-ray examination. Nasopharyngeal aspirate [NPA] samples were taken and sent to National Cancer Institute for microbiological, virological and molecular examinations
Results: High prevalence of RSV 85% [58/68] was detected, of these, 21% [12/58] were group A, 36% [21/58] were group B, and 43% [25/58] were subtype A and B. Highly affected children were from 2-3 months [44.8%] and rate of infection decreased as age increasing. RSV infection was statistically significant with some clinical findings and radiological findings
Conclusion: RSV is an important etiological agent causing pneumonia and bronchopneumonia in infancy. RT-PCR for NPA was a good method in detecting virus and may provide important information in establishing the etiology and improving management of the patients