This study was designed to prospectively investigate the hospitalisation
patterns for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease in children up to
2 years of age, both healthy full-term children and high-risk children.
The aim was to evaluate children hospitalised for a respiratory tract
infection in four regions and seven paediatric hospital departments or
clinics in Greece and to estimate the burden of RSV disease on
paediatric hospital beds, as well as to determine the target high-risk
age group over two consecutive respiratory infection seasons. Among a
total of 1,710 children, the overall prevalence of RSV disease was
33.1%. but prevalence differed between seasons (27% vs. 37.7%,
P<0.01). The peak prevalence of RSV disease occurred in February, with
the onset in November and the end in May. The monthly distribution was
similar in all regions. RSV positivity was strongly associated with
young age (4.7 vs. 6.6 months, P<0.001); classification within a
high-risk group (43% vs. 32.6%, P=0.04); lower respiratory tract
infection (93.8% vs. 86%, P=0.001), particularly bronchiolitis (80.9%
vs. 63.9%, P=0.001); more severe disease (P<0.001); longer stay in
hospital (P<0.001); and poorer outcome (P<0.001). RSV infections
accounted for 38% of the total hospitalisation days for all respiratory
infections, and 77% of the hospitalisation days for RSV infection were
for infants less than 6 months of age
