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Diagnosis and treatment of respiratory syncytial infection
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Diagnosis of respiratory syncytial infection
Respiratory syncytial infection is diagnosed based on the characteristic clinical picture of bronchiolitis with obstructive syndrome, severe oxygen deficiency at low or normal body temperature, in the appropriate epidemic situation - the occurrence of a mass uniform disease mainly among young children.
For laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis, the virus is isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs in tissue culture and the growth of complement-binding and virus-neutralizing antibodies in paired sera is used. For express diagnostics, the fluorescent antibody method is used.
Differential diagnostics
Respiratory syncytial infection is differentiated from adenovirus infection and other acute respiratory viral infections, as well as from whooping cough and mycoplasma infection. In adenovirus infection, the mucous membrane of the eyes is affected. In whooping cough, catarrhal symptoms are absent, body temperature is almost always normal, paroxysmal spasmodic cough with reprisals increases gradually, reaching maximum severity by the end of the 2nd week of illness, and in respiratory syncytial infection, although the cough can be paroxysmal, there is no apnea, and it reaches its maximum development on the 3rd-5th day of illness and quickly resolves. In whooping cough, lymphocytic hyperleukocytosis is noted with a low ESR.
In mycoplasma infection, predominantly lung tissue is affected, dyspnea is not expressed, neutrophilic shift to the left in the blood, ESR is increased. However, it is difficult to clinically differentiate respiratory syncytial infection from acute respiratory diseases of other etiologies. The etiology of the disease is finally established upon receipt of laboratory test results.
Treatment of respiratory syncytial infection
In most cases, treatment is carried out at home. Arbidol, children's anaferon, kagocel, gepon or other immunocorrective agents are prescribed, as well as bed rest, a gentle full diet, symptomatic agents, as with other ARVI. In case of obstructive syndrome, euphyllin with diphenhydramine or other antihistamines are given. Mucaltin, a mixture with marshmallow, thermopsis, sodium bicarbonate are indicated. In severe cases, hospitalization is necessary. In case of a combination of obstructive syndrome and pneumonia, antibiotics are prescribed.
The prognosis is favorable.
Prevention
Early isolation of the patient, ventilation of the premises, wet cleaning with disinfectants are important. Specific prevention has not been developed. All children who have had contact with patients can be sprayed with interferon in the nose.
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