Table 2.
Clinical presentation at enrolment.
| Characteristic | RSV- positive n = 34 |
RSV-negative n = 35 |
P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe bronchiolitis, No. (%) | 3 (8.8) | 3 (8.6) | 1.00 |
| Acute onset, No. (%) | 6 (17.7) | 11 (31.4) | 0.18 |
| Rectal temperature ≥38°C, No. (%) | 7 (20.6) | 6 (17.1) | 0.29 |
| Mean temperature ± SD, °C | 37.44 ± 0.74 | 37.02 ± 0.74 | 0.19 |
| Mean breath frequency ± SD | 54.79 ± 14.06 | 53.73 ± 12.34 | 0.78 |
| Dyspnea, No. (%) | 21 (61.8) | 16 (45.7) | 0.18 |
| Wheezing, No. (%) | 17 (50.0) | 16 (45.7) | 0.72 |
| Rales, No. (%) | 28 (82.3) | 29 (82.9) | 0.96 |
| Difficulties in feeding, No. (%) | 18 (52.9) | 12 (34.3) | 0.12 |
| Normal clinical heart assessment, No. (%) | 34 (100.0) | 35 (100.0) | 1.00 |
| Normal echocardiographic parameters, No. (%) | 34 (100.0) | 35 (100.0) | 1.00 |
| Mean cTnI ± SD, IU/L | 0.009 ± 0.02 | 0.013 ± 0.02 | 0.51 |
| Mean CPK ± SD, IU/L | 99.27 ± 69.45 | 79.88 ± 47.32 | 0.24 |
| Mean LDH ± SD, IU/L | 701.96 ± 190.74 | 597.95 ± 154.17 | 0.06 |
| Mean SGOT ± SD, IU/L | 38.83 ± 10.91 | 39.57 ± 19.93 | 0.86 |
| Mean SGPT ± SD, IU/L | 23.93 ± 10.98 | 28.00 ± 14.30 | 0.22 |
| Pneumonia at X-ray, No. (%) | 22 (64.7) | 17 (48.6) | 0.18 |
| Need for intravenous infusion, No. (%) | 15 (44.1) | 13 (37.1) | 0.56 |
| Need for oxygen therapy, No. (%) | 18 (52.9) | 21 (60.0) | 0.55 |
| Treated with antibiotics, No. (%) | 24 (70.6) | 21 (60.0) | 0.36 |
| Treated with inhalatory bronchodilator, No. (%) | 34 (100.0) | 35 (100.0) | 1.00 |
| Treated with steroids | |||
| Oral steroids, No. (%) | 6 (17.6) | 5 (14.3) | 0.75 |
| Intravenous steroids, No. (%) | 2 (5.9) | 2 (5.7) | 1.00 |
| Treated with drugs interacting with cardiovascular system, No. (%) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | - |
| Chest physiotherapy, No. (%) | 1 (2.9) | 2 (5.7) | 0.98 |
SD: standard deviation; cTnI: cardiac troponin I; CPK: creatine phosphokinase; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase; SGOT: serum glutamyl oxaloacetic transaminase; SGPT: serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase. P-value for comparison between groups, using chi-square or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate, for categorigal data and Student's test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test, as appropriate, for continuous variables.