Abstract
Objective: We aimed to define the clinical and epidemiological features of neonates hospitalized in the neonatal care unit with virus-related to lower respiratory tract infections in this study.
Material and Methods: The neonates who were hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infection between January 2014 and December 2015 were evaluated for clinical features and the viruses were identified on multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using nasal swab samples. Neonates with congenital heart disease, malformation of the respiratory tract, immune deficiency and nosocomial virus infection were excluded.
Results: Eighty-one (4.6%) of 1768 neonates were admitted to NICU with lower respiratory tract infection during the study period. In 56 of 81 patients, a virus was identified from the nasal swab sample. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was the most common etiology (80.4%, n=45), four patients had RSV co-infection (7.1%), and seven patients had a virus other than RSV (12.5%). Infants were hospitalized most frequently in January and February. The median postnatal age at admission of RSV-positive neonates was significantly lower than the neonates with causes other than RSV (21 vs. 41 days, p=0.011). The signs at admission, laboratory analyses and the respiratory support of RSV-positive neonates and neonates with causes other than RSV were similar. The mean hospitalization duration of all patients was 7.1±3.6 days. This was longer in RSV-positive neonates than neonates with causes other than RSV (7.3±3.8 and 4.8±3.1 days, p=0.03). All infants were discharged from the hospital.
Conclusion: RSV was the most common viral etiology in neonates without underlying diseases who were hospitalized with a lower respiratory tract infection at the intensive care unit. We found that RSV-related lower respiratory tract infection more frequently caused hospitalization in January and February and at a lower postnatal age. It is important to know the epidemiological and clinical factors that lead to hospitalization of neonates in order to develop preventive approaches
Keywords: Lower respiratory tract infection, Respiratory syncytial virus, Virus, Neonate
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