Current State of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease and Management

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of hospitalizations due to pneumonia and bronchiolitis. Substantial morbidity and socioeconomic burden are associated with RSV infection worldwide. Populations with higher susceptibility to developing severe RSV include premature infants, children with chronic lung disease of prematurity (CLDP) or congenital heart disease (CHD), elderly individuals aged > 65 years, and immunocompromised individuals. In the pediatric population, RSV can lead to long-term sequelae such as wheezing and asthma, which are associated with increased health care costs and reduced quality of life. Treatment for RSV is mainly supportive, and general preventive measures such as good hygiene and isolation are highly recommended. Although vaccine development for RSV has been a global priority, attempts to date have failed to yield a safe and effective product for clinical use. Currently, palivizumab is the only immunoprophylaxis (IP) available to prevent severe RSV in specific high-risk pediatric populations. Well-controlled, randomized clinical trials have established the efficacy of palivizumab in reducing RSV hospitalization (RSVH) in high-risk infants including moderate- to late-preterm infants. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), in its 2014 policy, stopped recommending RSV IP use for ≥ 29 weeks’ gestational age infants. Revisions to the AAP policy for RSV IP have largely narrowed the proportion of pediatric patients eligible to receive RSV IP and have been associated with an increase in RSVH and morbidity. On the other hand, after reviewing the recent evidence on RSV burden, the National Perinatal Association, in its 2018 clinical practice guidelines, recommended RSV IP use for a wider pediatric population. As the AAP recommendations drive insurance reimbursements for RSV IP, they should be revised to help further mitigate RSV disease burden.