Risk factors for disease severity and increased medical resource utilization in respiratory syncytial virus (+) hospitalized children: A descriptive study conducted in four Belgian hospitals

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 17; no. 6; p. e0268532
• Main Authors: Proesmans, Marijke, Rector, Annabel, Keyaerts, Els, Vandendijck, Yannick, Vermeulen, Francois, Sauer, Kate, Reynders, Marijke, Verschelde, Ann, Laffut, Wim, Garmyn, Kristien, Fleischhackl, Roman, Bollekens, Jacques, Ispas, Gabriela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 06-06-2022; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Age; Age groups; Antibiotics; Belgium - epidemiology; Biology and Life Sciences; Breastfeeding & lactation; Bronchodilators; Cardiovascular disease; Child; Child, Hospitalized; Children; Congenital diseases; Cough; Demographics; Dyspnea; Health risks; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Humans; Infant; Infections; Medical care; Medicine and Health Sciences; Oxygen; Patients; Pediatrics; People and Places; Physical Sciences; Premature birth; Prospective Studies; Regression analysis; Regression models; Resource utilization; Respiratory syncytial virus; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - diagnosis; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - therapy; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Signs and symptoms; Software packages; Statistical analysis; Supplementation; Supplements; Survival analysis; Utilization; Viruses; Belgium
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268532

We aimed to provide regional data on clinical symptoms, medical resource utilization (MRU), and risk factors for increased MRU in hospitalized respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-infected Belgian pediatric population.
This prospective, multicenter study enrolled RSV (+) hospitalized children (aged ≤5y) during the 2013-2015 RSV seasons. RSV was diagnosed within 24h of hospitalization. Disease severity of RSV (+) patients was assessed until discharge or up to maximum six days using a Physical Examination Score (PES) and a derived score based on ability to feed, dyspnea and respiratory effort (PES3). MRU (concomitant medications, length of hospitalization [LOH], and oxygen supplementation) was evaluated. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to compare MRU by age and presence of risk factors for severe disease. Association between baseline covariates and MRU was analyzed using Cox regression models.
In total, 75 children were included, Median (range) age was 4 (0-41) months, risk factors were present in 18.7%, and early hospitalization (≤3 days of symptom onset) was observed in 57.3% of patients. Cough (100%), feeding problems (82.2%), nasal discharge (87.8%), and rales and rhonchi (82.2%) were frequently observed. Median (range) LOH and oxygen supplementation was 5 (2-7) and 3 (1-7) days. Oxygen supplementation, bronchodilators, and antibiotics were administered to 58.7%, 64.0%, and 41.3% of the patients, respectively. Age <3 months and baseline total PES3 score were associated with probability and the duration of receiving oxygen supplementation. LOH was not associated with any covariate.
RSV is associated with high disease burden and MRU in hospitalized children. Oxygen supplementation but not length of hospitalization was associated with very young age and the PES3 score. These results warrant further assessment of the PES3 score as a predictor for the probability of receiving and length of oxygen supplementation in RSV hospitalized children.
NCT02133092.