Table 2.

Factors Independently Predicting Disease Severity Among RSV-Infected Children

Outcome measure	Independent variables associated with outcome	P value
Predicting increased likelihood of hospitalizationa	Ethnicity (Caucasian)	.040
	Younger age	.022
	Lower admission weight	< .001
	Presence of breastfeeding	.014
Predicting prolonged duration of hospitalization	Sex (male)	.036
	Lower admission weight	.044
	Presence of congenital anomalies	.016
	Longer duration of symptoms prior to specimen collection	.010
	Higher viral loadb	<.001
Predicting increased likelihood of requiring intensive care (day 1)	Younger age	.001
	Lower admission weight	<.001
	Presence of congenital anomalies	.017
	Higher viral loadb	.055
Predicting increased likelihood of requiring intensive care (day 2)	Lower admission weight	<.001
	Higher viral loadb	.046
Predicting increased likelihood of requiring intensive care (day 3)	Lower admission weight	.016
	Higher viral loadb	.009

NOTE. Models were generated using multivariate stepwise techniques to determine factors that best predict the outcome (measures of disease severity) in question. Viral load was tested last. Factors not listed here were not independently significant predictors.

^aThe effects of congenital anomalies on hospitalization could not be assessed because no subject with congenital anomalies remained an outpatient.

^bMeasured from nasal aspirates. Viral load estimates are highlighted in bold.