Experts stress the importance of exercise caution before respiratory infections.

-In the framework of the European meeting of specialists in respiratory Virus, held last week in Dublin, became apparent that the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the major pathogen associated with infections of the lower respiratory tract in children around the world.

-Preterm infants children with congenital heart disease or chronic lung disease have an increased risk of respiratory failure and secondary death by infection with RSV.

Madrid, October 2009.- The epidemic by greater respiratory infectious agent in the child population, the VRS, was the last year a great impact on the most vulnerable patients: preterm births (more than 40,000 per year in Spain according to the INE of year 2007)children with congenital heart disease, or children with chronic lung disease. Specifically, in the months (September to April) virus epidemic station, 2 out of 3 children under one year are infected by the VRS, and upon reaching the age of 2 years, most had an infection caused by this virus. Experts assume that facing the epidemic season of this year, the VRS presents one greater challenge than previously thought, both in hospitals and in consultations.

During the VII International expert meeting on respiratory viruses held in Dublin last week, specialists in Pulmonology, neonatology and Pediatrics, among others, considered the prevention of RSV as the best method to curb the epidemic in the most vulnerable patients.

Good diagnostic

For these purposes, the best preventive medicine against the VRS which is currently available for high-risk children is treatment with monoclonal antibodies, effective and very safe ”, in the words of Dr. Octavio Ramilo, Professor of Pediatrics of the Nationwide Children´s Hospital of Ohio.

This year should improve prophylaxis. Due to the special situation of this autumn and winter, in which we find ourselves with coexistence of influenza, seasonal influenza and RSV, doctors face the challenge of improving the prevention of viruses so that, for the moment, there is preventive treatment. One of the priorities is to act in the phase of prophylaxis to prevent deaths, income, and a simultaneous coinfection in the patient of two or more dangerous for your respiratory system virus ” ensures Dr. Ramilo.

Experts recommend start to protect the patient’s risk of RSV in October as too late, with the existing and approved prophylaxis in Spain since 1999. The fact that co-circulation of flu makes us more sensitive to detect viruses. Most important is that never make a diagnosis right with the diagnostic methods available to us ”, concludes Dr. Ramilo.

Treatment for the prevention of the VRS, scheduled in Spain by the Spanish neonatology society guides, has proved effective in preterm infants, which hospitalizaban 13% when did not apply the guidelines of the Spanish Association of Neonatology, and was passed to a 3% with prophylaxis ”, commented Dr. Xavier Carbonell, the Neonatology Service of the Hospital Clínico of Barcelona senior consultant.

Very important is also the prevention via hygienic measures at home and in public places (schools, day care …), decrease the exposure of premature infants both RSV and influenza, avoiding contact with other infected, and immunize mothers and brothers of the flu. This winter is insisting the precaution to the entire population, as the most vulnerable children have to be very well protected.

Dr. Carbonell said, according to investigations, about 50% of children with bronchiolitis by VRS develop wheezing repeating tables during his childhood, so it is necessary to reduce the infections to prevent future disease.

In Spain, bronchiolitis is a problem of public health, welfare and economic impact that has both short-term and long-term.

RSV-induced bronchiolitis causes a high health care costs in Spanish hospitals as well as an impact on the quality of life of patients at risk and their families. According to a study in the Valencian Community, the incidence of hospital admissions in children younger than 1 year is 40.2 cases/1,000 children per year, and the direct cost of hospitalization exceeds the 3.6 million euros per year, so for RSV infection in children of risk produces a high consumption of health care resources. In fact, the probability that a child again to enter by a respiratory condition during the two years following an income by VRS is up to eight times higher than in children who were never hospitalized by VRS.

About Abbott

Abbott is a company dedicated to the health care through the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceutical and medical, including nutritional products and medical devices and diagnostic products. The company employs more than 72,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries. Abbott takes Spain more than 1,200 employees and its headquarters is in Madrid. It also has research and development and a factory of medical nutrition in Granada, and a distribution center in Alcalá de Henares.