Respiratory syncytial virus infections in Oslo 1972--1978. II. Clinical and laboratory studies.

Patient records from 422 children admitted to hospital during 6 winter outbreaks of RSV infection were examined retrospectively. Bronchiolitis (255 patients) and pneumonia (98 patients) were the most common diagnoses. Otitis media (76 patients) occurred as a complication to these conditions. Children at risk for contracting severe illness caused by RSV were infants below the age of one year, more often boys than girls. Of the children older than two years, 32% had already been diagnosed as asthmatics. Children with otitis media had more often positive bacteriological findings from nasopharyngeal swabs than children with bronchiolitis only. No such significant difference was found between patients with bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Rapid virus diagnosis by immunofluorescence led to a decreasing utilisation of antibiotics in patients with bronchiolitis and to a shorter stay in hospital. The value of antibiotics in these infections is discussed.