[Clinical manifestation and prognosis of respiratory syncytial virus infection in infants].

To evaluate the clinical features of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and relation with bronchial asthma, 233 infants hospitalized for lower respiratory tract infection during winters from 1988 to 1990 were enrolled in this study. RSV antigen was detected from half of them by immunofluorescent antibody test. Children with RSV infection showed the characteristic findings as follows; wheeze (71.6%), elevated serum 2-5 AS activity, a marker for viral infection, low level of acute phase reactants. Patients whose family members with major allergy experienced more frequent episodes of wheeze. Since the initial RSV infection could cause wheeze among infants from atopic families and recurrent wheezy infants could be recognized as in the pre-stage of infantile asthma, we should follow these infants with RSV infection closely.