Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
A prospective >25-year follow-up study evaluated the outcome of patients hospitalized for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection at <24 months of age. Questionnaires were sent to 51 study subjects and to population controls. Self-reported asthma was present in 30% of the former RSV patients, compared with 3.8% of controls. In adjusted analyses, RSV hospitalization was an independent risk factor of adulthood asthma.
Introduction
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important pathogen in lower respiratory infection (LRI) of infants. By 2 years of age, 80% to 90% of all children have experienced at least 1 RSV infection, and 0.5% to 2.0% have been treated in hospital.
We have followed up a group of children hospitalized for viral bronchiolitis and/or pneumonia in infancy in 1981–1982 to 26 to 29 years of age. Viral etiology during hospitalization at <24 months of age was assessed by antibody and antigen assays. In the bronchiolitis group, the prevalence of asthma was 25% at 5 to 6 years of age and 15% at 8 to 10 years of age. The respective figures were lower, 13% and 6%, for the RSV positive subgroup. In follow-ups until 18 to 20 years of age, asthma risk was constantly lower after RSV than non-RSV bronchiolitis. In patients hospitalized for RSV LRI at <24 months of age, asthma was present, depending on definition, in 17% to 22% at 18 to 20 years of age.
In this questionnaire study, we evaluated asthma, allergy, and respiratory symptoms at 26 to 29 years of age after RSV hospitalization in infancy, by comparing the subjects with RSV hospitalization to population-based controls matched for gender and birth month.