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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffAntibiotics, which doctors prescribe to treat bacterial infections, are of no use against respiratory syncytial virus because it's a viral infection. However, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics if there's a bacterial complication, such as middle ear infection or bacterial pneumonia.
Otherwise, he or she may recommend an over-the-counter medication such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), depending on your child's age. These medications reduce fever but won't cure the infection or make it go away sooner.
Treating severe cases
In cases of severe infection, hospitalization may be necessary to provide intravenous (IV) fluids and humidified oxygen. Hospitalized infants and children may also be hooked up to mechanical ventilation — a breathing machine — to ease breathing.
In some severe cases, a nebulized bronchodilator such as albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin) may be used to relieve wheezing. This medication opens air passages in the lungs. Nebulized means it's administered as a fine mist that you breathe in. Occasionally, a nebulized form of ribavirin (Rebetol), an antiviral agent, may be used. Your doctor may also recommend an injection of epinephrine or a form of epinephrine that can be inhaled through a nebulizer (racemic epinephrine) to relieve symptoms of RSV infection.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Respiratory syncytial virus. In: Pickering LK, et al. Red Book: 2006 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 27th ed. Elk Grove, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2006. http://aapredbook.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/2006/1/3.107. Accessed June 9, 2009.
- Barr FE, et al. Clinical features and diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus infection. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 15, 2009.
- Peters TR, et al. Respiratory syncytial virus. In: Long SS, et al. Principles and Practices of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/143546809-2/0/1679/229.html?tocnode=55244158&fromURL=229.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06687-0..50228-9_4167. Accessed June 10, 2009.
- Respiratory syncytial virus infection (RSV): Infection and incidence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/infection.html. Accessed June 10, 2009.
- Busselen S. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2009. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/143685797-2/0/1701/508.html?tocnode=56571976&fromURL=508.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-04134-8..50021-5--subchapter11_10747. Accessed June 10, 2009.
- Respiratory syncytial virus infection (RSV): Transmission and prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/transmission.html. Accessed June 10, 2009.
- Perez-Yarza EG, et al. The association between respiratory syncytial virus infection and the development of childhood asthma: A systematic review of the literature. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2007;26:733.
- Barr FE, et al. Treatment and prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infection. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 18, 2009.
- Ventre K, et al. Ribavirin for respiratory syncytial virus infection of the lower respiratory tract in infants and young children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007:CD000181.
