Economic and long-term benefits of ribavirin therapy on respiratory syncytial virus infection.

Ribavirin is a broad-spectrum antiviral agent. Administered as an aerosol, it has been shown to be clinically effective in improving the signs and symptoms of viral bronchiolitis in infancy, particularly cases due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This paper reviews the evidence for economic and/or long-term clinical benefits from using ribavirin in the acute illness. There are data to suggest that use of ribavirin may lead to a reduction in therapeutic interventions and duration of hospital stay, with associated savings in hospital costs. Ribavirin reduces the production of RSV-specific IgE, and (in vitro) inhibits the release of inflammatory mediators from mast cells, suggesting that there could be beneficial effects on the incidence of postbronchiolitis wheezing. Confirmatory studies are in progress.