Pediatrics and respiratory viruses: Understanding for better care

Respiratory infections are one of the most frequent causes of consultation and hospitalization in children, and remain a public health problem. In our study, three techniques were used to test for respiratory viruses: IFD for RSV, monoplex PCR for SARS-CoV-2 and multiplex PCR for more than 20 pathogens. Seventy-two patients were admitted for respiratory infection, with a predominance of males and a mean age of 3.6 months. IFD was performed on 69 samples, and was positive in 44. Monoplex PCR was performed on 65 samples, and was positive in only one. There were 10 cases of co-infection. The most frequent reason for consultation was dyspnea. The clinical signs most frequently noted were polypnoea or tachypnoea, and sibilant rales. Management was based mainly on nasal decongestion and nebulization. Oxygen therapy was required in 54.2% of patients. Sixteen patients developed complications, 3 of whom died.