International Journal of Clinical Research

Objective To explore the risk factors of severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in children. Methods A total of 260 children hospitalized in the Department of Pediatrics at the First Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, from August 2023 to December 2024, with RSV infection were selected as the study subjects. According to the diagnostic and treatment guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia in children, they were divided into mild and severe groups. General medical history, physical examination indicators, and laboratory test indicators of the enrolled children were collected, and the risk factors for severe RSV infection were statistically analyzed. Results The 260 RSV-infected children were grouped by disease severity, with 195 in the mild group and 65 in the severe group. There were statistically significant differences in mental status, respiratory rate, tracheal retraction, nasal flaring, and wheezing between the two groups (P < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that respiratory rate, mental status, tracheal retraction, and wheezing were independent influencing factors of disease severity (P < 0.05). The area under the ROC curve was 0.93 [95% CI (0.89-0.98)], with specificity of 0.83 and sensitivity of 0.85, indicating good predictive efficacy. Conclusion Respiratory rate, mental status, tracheal retraction, and wheezing are independent risk factors for severe RSV infection.

Children; Respiratory syncytial virus; Severe; Risk factor