Clinical, Laboratory, and Epidemiological Characteristics of Children Hospitalized for RSV Infection: A Single-center Retrospective Descriptive Cohort Study

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common causes of lower respiratory tract infections in childhood and may be associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, particularly during infancy. This study aimed to describe the demographic, clinical, laboratory, treatment, and outcome characteristics of children hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed RSV infection at a single center in 2024. This single-center, retrospective, descriptive cohort study included 57 patients aged 0-18 years who tested positive for RSV and were hospitalized in 2024. Among the 57 patients included in the study, 52.6% were female, and the median age was 5.0 months (interquartile range: 3.0-13.0). Infants aged 0-3 months constituted the largest age group, accounting for 33.3% of the cohort. Among the 48 patients with available exposure data, household tobacco smoke exposure was documented in 39 (81.3% of those 48); exposure status was unknown for the remaining 9 of the 57 patients. A history of preterm birth was present in 19.3%, chronic disease in 3.5%, and palivizumab prophylaxis in 1.8%. RSV-A was the predominant subtype detected in 73.7% of patients. The most common presenting symptoms were cough (98.2%), fever (71.9%), and respiratory distress (71.9%). Oxygen support was required in 78.9% of patients, with high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy being the most frequently used modality (42.1%). Mechanical ventilation and admission to the intensive care unit were observed in 3.5% of cases. Antibiotic therapy was administered to 40.4% of patients. Fifty-six patients (98.2%) were discharged alive; one died. In this single-center hospital cohort, most patients were young infants, and oxygen support was frequently used. Although tobacco smoke exposure was frequently documented, its association with risk could not be assessed because no control group was included.