Blomberg Agnieszka, Żak Magdalena, Koźba-Baranowska Maria, Tkaczyk Marcin, Depczyk-Bukała Marta, Zeman Krzysztof
Department of Pediatrics, Immunology and Nephrology, Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital Research Institute, 93-338 Lodz, Poland.
Department of Pediatrics, Immunology and Nephrology, Medical University of Lodz, 90-151 Lodz, Poland.
J Clin Med. 2025 Sep 5;14(17):6284. doi: 10.3390/jcm14176284.
: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the seasonal pattern of RSV infections, increasing cases outside the typical epidemic season. This study aimed to assess the pandemic's impact on the clinical characteristics of RSV infections in children hospitalized at the Polish Mother's Memorial Health Institute in Łódź, based on a 9-year observation period from 2016 to 2024. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 330 children hospitalized for RSV between 2016 and 2024. Patients were divided into pre-COVID-19 (2016-2020, = 160) and post-COVID-19 (2021-2024, = 170) groups. The hospitalization course, the treatment duration, the use of oxygen, antibiotics, systemic steroids, the patient age structure, and risk factors were compared. : Following the pandemic, the age profile of hospitalized RSV patients shifted, with more children over 12 months (27% post-COVID-19 vs. 18% pre-COVID-19). RSV hospitalizations increased as COVID-19 cases declined (correlation coefficient: -1.0; < 0.001). The average hospitalization duration decreased by 1.8 days ( = 0.002). Oxygen therapy was used more frequently post-pandemic ( < 0.001), while antibiotic use decreased (51.75% vs. 81.25%; < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in ICU transfer rates. Premature infants and children with congenital defects experienced longer hospitalizations, with a stronger correlation noted post-COVID-19 (0.38; < 0.001). : The COVID-19 pandemic changed the profile of children hospitalized with RSV, increasing the proportion of older patients. Despite shorter hospital stays, prematurity and congenital anomalies remained key risk factors for severe disease. Study limitations include its retrospective design, selection bias, and limited socio-demographic and clinical data due to pandemic-related constraints.
新冠疫情扰乱了呼吸道合胞病毒（RSV）感染的季节性模式，导致非典型流行季节的病例增加。本研究旨在基于2016年至2024年的9年观察期，评估疫情对罗兹市波兰母亲纪念健康研究所住院儿童RSV感染临床特征的影响。对2016年至2024年间因RSV住院的330名儿童进行了回顾性分析。患者被分为新冠疫情前组（2016 - 2020年，n = 160）和新冠疫情后组（2021 - 2024年，n = 170）。比较了住院病程、治疗时长、氧气使用情况、抗生素使用情况、全身用类固醇使用情况、患者年龄结构和风险因素。疫情之后，住院RSV患者的年龄分布发生了变化，12个月以上儿童增多（新冠疫情后为27%，新冠疫情前为18%）。随着新冠病例数下降，RSV住院病例数增加（相关系数：-1.0；P < 0.001）。平均住院时长减少了1.8天（P = 0.002）。疫情后氧气治疗使用更频繁（P < 0.001），而抗生素使用减少（51.75%对81.25%；P < 0.001）。重症监护病房（ICU）转诊率未观察到显著差异。早产儿和先天性缺陷儿童住院时间更长，新冠疫情后相关性更强（0.38；P < 0.001）。新冠疫情改变了因RSV住院儿童的特征，老年患者比例增加。尽管住院时间缩短，但早产和先天性异常仍然是重症疾病的关键风险因素。研究局限性包括其回顾性设计、选择偏倚以及由于疫情相关限制导致的社会人口统计学和临床数据有限。
