Mega Doctor News
by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Newswise — Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that affects the upper respiratory system, which includes the nose and throat, and the lower respiratory system, which includes the lungs. In most people, the virus causes a cough, a runny nose, and sometimes a fever.
Over the last few years, during the September through May flu season, many areas of the U.S. have experienced a surge of children with RSV. Most children who display symptoms of RSV do not need to be tested for it because the treatment will be the same whether they are positive or negative for RSV.
RSV is a viral illness that generally presents with congestion, a runny nose, and a cough, much like the common cold. It is estimated that 80% of infants will have an RSV infection during the first year of life. Most children will only manifest upper respiratory “cold-like” symptoms.
But the virus can be dangerous to some people. In infants and young children, RSV can cause pneumonia or bronchiolitis, which results in inflammation and damage of the small airways in the lungs. People over the age of 50 and those with diabetes, cancer, heart, or lung disease are also at risk for complications. They can catch RSV from babies, toddlers, and older kids. If your child gets RSV, keep him or her away from anyone in your family who is at high risk of becoming very sick.
“Prevention of RSV includes good hand washing and minimizing contact with others when a child has cold symptoms,” says Colleen Kraft, MD, MBA, an attending physician in General Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “If a child has difficulty breathing or is not eating or drinking due to their symptoms, they need medical attention.”
How contagious is RSV?
RSV is very contagious. It can live on surfaces for hours, although the main way people catch it is by being in close contact with an infected person. The virus typically causes symptoms that last between seven to 10 days, but some kids can develop a cough that takes up to six weeks to clear. Most people with RSV are contagious during the three to eight days that they show symptoms.
During flu season, RSV typically circulates first on the East Coast, and then makes its way to the West Coast, where transmission peaks in January and February.
“In our Emergency Department, as well as at the CHLA Urgent Care in Arcadia, we have been seeing a dramatic increase in respiratory viruses during flu season, including RSV,” says Deborah Liu, MD, Associate Director of Emergency and Transport Medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “We should be especially vigilant in keeping our children and ourselves healthy.”
Taking care of children with RSV
Most kids can recover from RSV at home. There is no medicine that works against the virus, but you can comfort children by treating their symptoms.
If your child has a stuffy nose, for example, you can use a saline spray and a bulb suction or simple machine to suction out the mucus. A humidifier may help soothe respiratory passages. If your older child is coughing a lot, prop up his or her head with a pillow. Keep kids hydrated. If you have a baby, give frequent breastmilk or formula feedings, but don’t overfeed because babies can vomit easily when they have a cough or runny nose. If your baby is irritable or if your child feels badly, you can give a pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Ask your pediatrician about the correct dose to give.
“For most viruses, the management is the same: Stay home, stay well-hydrated, get lots of sleep, and take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever,” Dr. Liu says.
One thing to not give your child is a homeopathic medicine. Since homeopathic medications aren’t regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there is no way to know if they are safe.
Symptoms to look out for
If you are concerned about your child’s fever or if your child isn’t eating, is urinating very few times a day, is acting lethargic, seems like they are having trouble breathing, or just looks very sick, call your pediatrician.
Some symptoms require a trip to the Emergency Department (ED). Severe dehydration, which can cause a very dry mouth or sunken eyes, should be treated immediately. In babies and toddlers, a warning sign is not having a wet diaper for 8 to 10 hours straight. If your child is struggling to breathe—such as using extra muscles to do it, wheezing, or breathing very fast—those are signs that you should go to the ED.
“Bronchiolitis can cause significant respiratory distress, and some patients require hospitalization and assistance in how they breathe, such as extra oxygen or even a ventilator,” Dr. Liu says.
If your child has had a fever for five consecutive days or longer, you should take them to the doctor to rule out a secondary infection. Sometimes children can develop a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia, or an ear infection on top of a viral infection.
There are some new, effective ways to prevent severe RSV bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants. A vaccine given to pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks is highly effective at inducing protective antibodies in their young infants. Also, a new monoclonal antibody given to infants who are less than 8 months of age before the start of the RSV season has reduced RSV hospitalization in these babies by 90%. Babies with complex lung and heart conditions can also be protected from severe RSV during their second year of life with one immunization!
Ask your doctor for more information if you are pregnant or have a young infant during RSV season, which runs between November and March.
