Prevention of syncytial respiratory virus infection with palivizumab: descriptive and comparative analysis after 12 years of use

BACKGROUND: The use of palivizumab has been recommended to prevent syncytial respiratory virus (SRV) infection in vulnerable children. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of hospital admissions for bronchiolitis from 2000 to 2012 in the context of a prevention study with palivizumab in at-risk newborns. RESULTS: A total of 952 children (59.5% males) were admitted due to bronchiolitis. Admissions occurred in younger children in the SRV+ cases compared to the SRV- cases (P<0.001). Additionally, 641 children were treated with Palivizumab at our service. Sixty of these children (9.8%) were admitted due to bronchiolitis and SRV was detected in 22 of them (3.4%). Fifty (7.8%) had underlying diseases, 6 (0.9%) presented with a history of perinatal infection and 20 (3.12%) had been part of a multiple birth. The treated children with some additional risk factor presented a greater risk of admission due to bronchiolitis (OR=1.99, P=0.045); however, this was not observed for admissions due to SRV (P=0.945). CONCLUSIONS: Children treated with Palivizumab showed a lower rate of SRV infection, despite having more risk factors associated with a higher risk of infection or complications.