New research has identified clues that may make it easier to predict which kids will require a longer ICU stay for a serious case of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), although it is still not possible to determine how long that stay will be, according to findings published in Frontiers in Immunology. Bria Marielle Coates, MD, and colleagues examined which genes turn on in response to RSV using nose swabs from children with RSV in the pediatric ICU (PICU) within a few days of hospital admission. Despite the same quantity of RSV and the same clinical presentation, some children showed signs of greater damage to the cells lining the inside of the nostrils, which correlated to longer PICU stays. “At this stage, we saw that more injury in the nasal mucosal membranes of children with RSV may be a marker of a dysregulated response to the virus and predict more prolonged illness,” Dr. Coates said in a hospital news release. “These are promising findings that ultimately might offer better answers to parents and the care team.”
