• Dimpy P Shah, Shashank S Ghantoji, Jharna N Shah, Katia K El Taoum, Ying Jiang, Uday Popat, Chitra Hosing, Gabriela Rondon, Jeffrey J Tarrand, Richard E Champlin, and Roy F Chemaly.
• Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
• J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 2013 Aug 1; 68 (8): 1872-80.

ObjectivesRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections are well recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) recipients. We evaluated the spectrum of clinical manifestations, management (including ribavirin-based antiviral therapy) and outcomes of RSV infections and determined the risk factors associated with RSV lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and all-cause mortality.MethodsIn this retrospective study, we analysed clinical data from all laboratory-confirmed RSV infections in allo-HSCT recipients (n = 280) who presented at our institution from January 1996 to May 2009.ResultsOf the 280 patients, 80 (29%) developed LRTI within 20 days (median 1 day, range 0-19 days) and 44 (16%) died within 90 days (median 26 days, range 1-82 days) from RSV diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression analyses identified several significant risk factors associated with RSV LRTI and all-cause mortality, including age, male sex, neutropenia, lymphocytopenia and lack of ribavirin-based antiviral therapy at the upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) stage. Aerosolized ribavirin-based therapy at the URTI stage was the single most significant factor in reducing the risk of RSV LRTI (83%), all-cause mortality (57%) and RSV-associated mortality (87%) in these patients (P < 0.05), irrespective of the year of RSV diagnosis.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that RSV infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in high-risk allo-HSCT recipients and ribavirin-based antiviral therapy at the URTI stage had a positive impact on both outcomes in this vulnerable population with multiple risk factors.

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