Gravedad de la infección por virus sincicial respiratorio en pacientes con factores de riesgo y sin ellos

objective. the aim of this study was to analyze variables of severity of acute lower respiratory infections in groups with and without personal risk factors. population, material and methods. we conducted a retrospective cohort study. medical charts of 461 patients admitted in garrahan hospital with infections by respiratory syncytial virus from 1998 to 1999 were examined. these risk factors were: preterm birth ≤ 34 weeks, preterm birth ≤ 6 months at the time of infection, ≤ 45 days of age, chronic pulmonary obstructive postviral disease, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cystic fibrosis and congenital cardiopathies. results. the clinical presentations were bronchiolitis 72.2% and pneumonia 13.9%. mean age was 6.96 months (r 0.33 to 23.8 and mode 1 m). males: female ratio was 1:0.8. the patients with low personal risk factors were 57.3% and with high personal risk factors 42.7%. both groups were compared regarding the variables: age low risk 7.27 vs. high risk 6.41 (p 0.073), days of admission 11.01 vs. 15.21 (p 0.001), days of oxygen 6.74 vs. 14.40 (p 0.001), days on assisted ventilation 14 vs. 29 (p 0.001) and number of patients on assisted ventilation 0.46 vs. 2.65 (p 0.001). the global mortality rate was 1.04%. conclusions. the group of patients with respiratory syncytial virus infection with personal risk factors required more days of hospitalization, days of oxygen and more probability of assisted ventilation. this data should be taken into account when considering prevention and treatment in respiratory syncytial virus infection to improve the prognosis of these patients.