Pulmonary sequelae in 2-year-old children after hospitalisation for respiratory syncytial virus lower respiratory tract infection during infancy: an observational study

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of hospitalisation for lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in children. RSV LRTI during early childhood may increase susceptibility to recurrent wheezing and asthma. RESEARCH QUESTION: The aim of this study was to describe the pulmonary sequelae at 1 and 2 years of age following RSV LRTI hospitalisation during the first year of life in term infants. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A longitudinal case–control study was undertaken from April 2016 to December 2019. Cases constituted children hospitalised with PCR-confirmed RSV LRTI during infancy and controls were children not previously hospitalised with LRTI. A questionnaire detailing environmental and medical history, as well as a modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies (ISAAC) questionnaire, was administered, and pulmonary function testing, including oscillometry, tidal breath flow-volume loops and multiple breath wash-out, was performed, at one and two years of age. RESULTS: One (n=308) and two-year-old (n=214) cases were more likely than one (n=292) and two-year-old (n=209) controls to have experienced clinical pulmonary symptoms, including wheezing ((55% vs 24%; p<0.001) and (61% vs 16%; p<0.001)), received treatment for wheezing ((17 vs 8%; p<0.001) and (51 vs 6%; p<0.001)) and had any admissions for wheezing ((31 vs 6%; p<0.001) and (46 vs 1.4%; p<0.001)) or any LRTI ((24 vs 2%; p<0.001) and (32 vs 1.4%; p<0.001)), after the initial RSV hospitalisation. RSV LRTI during infancy was associated with an increase in airway resistance by two years (22.46 vs 20.76 hPa.s.l(-1) (p=0.022)), along with a decrease in compliance at both one (−4.61 vs −3.09 hPa.s/l (p<0.001)) and two years (−0.99 vs 0.33 hPa.s/l(1) (p<0.001)). There was an increased work of breathing at one year, but this was no longer present at two years. INTERPRETATION: RSV LRTI during infancy in cases was associated with more clinical and pulmonary function sequelae through to two years of age.