RT Book, Section
A1 Miguel, Claudia P. Vicetti
A1 Mejias, Asuncion
A2 Kline, Mark W.
SR Print(0)
ID 1182934674
T1 Viral Respiratory Infections Including Influenza
T2 Rudolph's Pediatrics, 23e
YR 2018
FD 2018
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9781259588594
LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1182934674
RD 2024/04/19
AB Respiratory  viral  infections  are  a  major  cause  of  morbidity  in  children  around  the  world.  Healthy  infants  and  preschool  children  experience  between  6  and  10  respiratory  illnesses  per  year,  and  school-age  children  and  adolescents  experience  3  to  5  illnesses  annually.  Respiratory  viral  infections  are  classified  into  (1)  upper  respiratory  tract  infections  (URIs),  also  known  as  the  common  cold,  rhinitis,  pharyngitis,  otitis  media,  and  conjunctivitis;  and  (2)  lower  respiratory  tract  infections  (LRTIs),  namely  croup,  laryngitis,  tracheobronchitis,  bronchiolitis,  and  pneumonia.  With  molecular  techniques  becoming  the  new  gold  standard  for  the  detection  of  respiratory  viruses,  important  changes  have  occurred  in  our  understanding  of  the  role  of  these  viruses  in  respiratory  illnesses  in  children,  particularly  in  LRTIs.  Newly  discovered  viruses  have  been  identified  in  the  last  decade  (eg,  human  bocaviruses,  human  coronaviruses)  that  have  been  associated  with  respiratory  illnesses.  In  addition,  areas  that  require  further  research  have  been  uncovered  such  as  the  causality  between  newly  discovered  viruses  and  clinical  disease,  the  significance  of  viral  co-detections,  and  the  role  of  viral  quantitation  and  its  correlation  with  disease  severity.  Despite  these  changes,  epidemiologic  studies  have  demonstrated  that  the  major  associations  established  by  traditional  techniques  (eg,  viral  culture,  antigen  detection,  and  serology)  remain  valid.  Despite  the  major  advances  observed  with  the  development  of  diagnostic  tools,  there  has  been  a  paucity  of  major  changes  in  the  availability  of  specific  antivirals  and  vaccines,  although  many  are  currently  under  investigation  with  the  potential  to  become  available  in  the  next  few  years.