[Virus infections of the respiratory tract in childhood (author's transl)].

Comprehensive epidemiological studies revealed that every individual is suffering from a respiratory tract infection in the average 6 times a year. 97% of these are caused by viruses. Identical clinical symptoms may be produced by many different agents, thus the etiology of an illness can only be identified by virus isolation and serological tests. The frequency of isolations is varying in adults and in children as well as in ambulatory and in hospitalized patients. The persistently observed susceptibility for new infections is caused by the great variety of possible etiologic agents especially in upper respiratory infections and the peculiarities of local immunity in the respiratory tract. An influence of chilling could not be demonstrated scientifically in spite of controverse clinical observations. It was proved however that allergic individuals succumb more frequently to viral infections. Overweight in infancy increases susceptibility for bronchitis and bronchiolitis. Superinfections by bacteriae are not rarely complications of viral diseases and antibiotic therapy may become necessary eventually. Leucocytosis and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate are only criteria of limited value to distinguish viral and bacterial infections. Specific virostatic therapy is not possible so far for respiratory tract illnesses, but for prophylaxis of infections with influenza A2 amantadine-HCl may be used. Gammaglobulin has a prophylactic effect as well for certain virus infections but is of little use for antiviral therapy.