Table 3.
Clinical features and diagnoses of 37 infants with confirmed RSV disease.
| MILD DISEASE | SEVERE DISEASE | Sig. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 17 | 20 | - | ||
| CLINICAL FEATURES: | |||||
| Significant Dyspnea1 | 0 | (0%) | 17 | (85%) | - |
| Apnea | 0 | (0%) | 2 | (10%) | - |
| Cardiovascular Compromise | 0 | (0%) | 2 | (10%) | - |
| Highest pCO2, mean (S.D.), kPa | 5.83 | (0.93) | 6.70 | (1.88) | p = 0.0882 |
| Lowest O2 saturation; mean (S.D.), % | 98 | (2.4) | 93 | (5.9) | p = 0.0052 |
| Highest Respiratory Rate; Mean (S.D.),/min | 40 | (9.7) | 50 | (8.3) | p = 0.0032 |
| Pulse on admission; mean (S.D.),/min | 153 | (18) | 155 | (18) | p = 0.8062 |
| Weight on admission; mean (S.D.), grams | 6470 | (1613) | 6640 | (1910) | p = 0.822 |
| Duration of symptoms on admission; mean (S.D.), days | 4.5 | (3.4) | 4.1 | (1.3) | p = 0.622 |
| Length of stay; median (IQR), days | 2 | (2 - 4) | 5 | (3 - 5) | p = 0.0013 |
| INTERVENTIONS | |||||
| CPAP/Ventilator | 0 | (0%) | 0 | (0%) | - |
| Supplemental Oxygen | 0 | (0%) | 8 | (40%) | - |
| Supplemental Fluids | |||||
| Intravenous | 0 | (0%) | 2 | (10%) | - |
| Feeding Tube | 0 | (0%) | 3 | (15%) | - |
| CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS:5 | |||||
| Bronchiolitis | 12 | (71%) | 20 | (100%) | |
| Pneumonia | 1 | (6%) | 2 | (10%) | |
| Atelectasis | 0 | (0%) | 2 | (10%) | p = 0.4074 |
| URTI | 1 | (6%) | 0 | (0%) | |
| Uncertain Diagnosis6 | 4 | (24%) | 0 | (0%) | - |
Note: There was a statistically significant reduction in oxygen saturation, increase in respiratory rate and longer length of stay in the severe disease group, and a tendency to higher pCO2. Clinical features, interventions and diagnoses incorporated in the algorithm for disease severity were not analyzed statistically. pCO2: capillary partial pressure of carbon dioxide; URTI = Upper respiratory tract infection.
1 Pediatrician's assessment of respiratory effort.
2 Student's t-test; 3Mann-Whitney test; 4chi-square test.
5 Some patients received more than one diagnosis, e.g.: bronchiolitis and atelectasis.
6 4 patients tested for RSV by GPs, but not referred to hospital, received an uncertain diagnosis. An inquiry of hospital archives reveals that these patients have not been admitted at other pediatric clinics in our region.