Table 1.
Comparison of Clinical and Demographic Characteristics of Respiratory Syncytial Virus–Positive and Other Virus–Positive Children
| Characteristic | Respiratory Syncytial Virus–Positive, n = 191 | Other Virus–Positive, n = 490 | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Age, median [interquartile range], months | 10 (4.1–21) | 19.4 (9.1–34.7) | <.001 a |
| Male | 96 (50%) | 275 (56%) | .17b |
| Race | .01 b | ||
| White | 119 (62%) | 263 (54%) | |
| Black | 54 (28%) | 197 (40%) | |
| Other/Unknown/Mixed | 18 (9%) | 30 (6%) | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40 (21%) | 125 (26%) | .21b |
| Breastfeeding | 137 (72%) | 340 (69%) | .55b |
| Smoke exposure | 63/190 (33%) | 158 (32%) | .82b |
| Preschool/School | 61 (32%) | 161/485 (33%) | .75b |
| Prematurityc | 35/148 (24%) | 62/289 (21%) | .60b |
| Underlying medical conditions | 65 (34%) | 220 (44%) | .01 b |
| Signs and symptoms | |||
| Illness duration, days | 4.3 ± 2.2 | 3.7 ± 2.3 | <.001 d |
| Fever | 152 (80%) | 384/487 (79%) | .83b |
| Fever duration, days | 3.3 ± 1.9 | 2.7 ± 1.8 | <.001 d |
| Cough | 187 (98%) | 422 (86%) | <.001 b |
| Runny nose | 176/190 (93%) | 425 (87%) | .03 b |
| Nasal congestion | 180/189 (95%) | 409 (83%) | <.001 b |
| Vomiting | 52 (27%) | 124 /488 (25%) | .62b |
| Diarrhea | 55 (29%) | 147 (30%) | .79b |
| Appetite loss | 156 (82%) | 361/486 (74%) | .04 b |
| Less sleeping | 145 (76%) | 294/489 (60%) | <.001 b |
| Lethargy | 33 (17%) | 75/488 (15%) | .54b |
| Irritability | 169/190 (89%) | 389/488 (80%) | .005 b |
| Loud, noisy breathing | 153 (80%) | 320 (65%) | <.001 b |
| Rapid or shallow breathing | 142 (74%) | 259/488 (53%) | <.001 b |
| Difficulty breathing | 133/189 (70%) | 219/488 (45%) | <.001 b |
| Apnea | 17/187 (9%) | 20/486 (4%) | .01 b |
| Wheezing | 52 (27%) | 85 (17%) | .004 b |
| Retractions | 64 (34%) | 89 (18%) | <.001 b |
| Nasal flaring | 102 (53%) | 187/485 (38%) | .001 b |
| Maximum respiratory rate | 37.3 ± 10.7 | 33.7 ± 11.1 | <.001 d |
| Minimum oxygen saturation | 97.1 ± 3.7 | 98 ± 3.4 | .008 d |
| Laboratory | |||
| Viral codetection | 60 (31%) | 70 (14%) | <.001 b |
| Severity | |||
| Hospital admission | 65 (34%) | 118 (24%) | .009 b |
| Intensive care unit admission | 11/65 (17%) | 8/118 (7%) | .03 b |
| Oxygen use | 40/65 (62%) | 38/118 (32%) | <.001 b |
| Length of hospital stay, days | 2 (1–3) | NA | NA |
Categorial data are in n (%), continuous data are in mean ± standard deviation, median (interquartile range). P values less than .05 are shown in bold.
Abbreviation NA, not available.
aMedian test.
bPearson χ2 test.
cOnly collected from children aged <2 years.
d T test.