Viruses
Age-Related Differences in the Clinical Presentation of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Hospitalized Children: A Three-Year Retrospective Study
By Andreea Văduva, Alexandru Dinulescu, Anca Cristina Drăgănescu and 1 others.
Abstract
Background
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of hospitalization in infants and young children, with the highest risk of severe disease occurring during early infancy. Age may influence not only disease severity but also the clinical phenotype of RSV infection. This study aimed to evaluate age-related differences in clinical presentation and respiratory severity among children hospitalized with RSV infection.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study including 241 children aged 0–24 months hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed RSV infection between January 2022 and December 2024. Clinical manifestations were compared across four age groups (0–3, 4–6, 7–12, and 13–24 months). Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess associations between exact age in months and individual clinical manifestations, adjusting for sex, prematurity, documented viral co-infection and feeding type. The Holm procedure was applied to account for multiple comparisons in the exact-age analyses. Supplemental oxygen requirement was evaluated as a marker of respiratory severity.