Economic evaluation of respiratory syncytial virus infection in Canadian children: a Pediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada (PICNIC) study.

OBJECTIVES: To quantify the cost and distribution of health care resources consumed annually in management of Canadian children from birth to 4 years of age with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. STUDY DESIGN: Estimates of direct medical expenditures (in 1993 U.S. dollars) were collected from a prospective cohort study of hospitalized children with RSV and from national and provincial databases. RESULTS: The annual cost of RSV-associated illness was almost $18 million. The largest component of direct expenditures (62%) was for inpatient care for the estimated 0.7% of all infected children ill enough to require admission. Physician fees comprised only 4% of inpatient expenses. Expenditures for ambulatory patients accounted for 38% of direct costs. CONCLUSIONS: The greatest reductions in the economic cost of RSV infections will be found in interventions that reduce duration of or prevent hospital stay. Costs for management of RSV infection in children in the Canadian health care system are considerably less than charges reported in the United States.

Pediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada (PICNIC) study of admission and management variation in patients hospitalized with respiratory syncytial viral lower respiratory tract infection.

OBJECTIVE: To describe differences in patients hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract infection (LRI) at nine Canadian tertiary care hospitals. In addition, this study describes the variation in use of drug and other interventions. METHODS: Data on patients hospitalized with RSV LRI and their outcomes were prospectively collected. Demographic data were obtained on enrollment by center study nurses. Data recorded daily included clinical assessment, oxygen saturation determination, and interventions (bronchodilators, steroids, ribavirin, antibiotics, intensive care, and mechanical ventilation) received during the day. Patients were divided into those with underlying diseases including congenital heart disease, chronic lung disease, immunodeficiency, or multiple congenital anomalies and those who were previously healthy. Mean RSV-associated length of stay and the proportion of patients receiving each intervention in each group were determined by hospital. RESULTS: A total of 1516 patients were enrolled at nine hospitals during January 1 to June 30, 1993, and January 1 to April 30, 1994. Significant differences were observed among hospitals in the proportion of patients with underlying disease, postnatal age less than 6 weeks, hypoxia, and pulmonary infiltrate on chest radiograph. The mean length of stay varied among hospitals from 8.6 to 11.8 days and 4.6 to 6.7 days in compromised and previously healthy patients, respectively. Except for receipt of bronchodilators, compromised patients were significantly more likely to receive interventions than previously healthy patients. There was variation among hospitals in receipt of most interventions in compromised and previously healthy patients. This variation was statistically significant for previously healthy patients but not statistically significant in those with underlying disease, because the numbers of patients in the latter group were much smaller. The magnitude of the variation for each intervention, however, was not different between those with underlying disease compared with previously healthy patients. CONCLUSION: Differences exist among tertiary pediatric hospitals in the nature of the patients admitted with RSV LRI. Variation occurred in the use of five interventions among the hospitals, regardless of whether the patient had underlying illness or was previously healthy. Given their current widespread use, high cost, and potential side effects, randomized clinical trials are needed to determine the efficacy of different drug treatments used to treat infants hospitalized with RSV.

Pediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada (PICNIC) prospective study of risk factors and outcomes in patients hospitalized with respiratory syncytial viral lower respiratory tract infection.

OBJECTIVE: To provide information on disease attributable to respiratory syncytial viral lower respiratory tract infection (RSV LRI) and to quantify the morbidity associated with various risk factors. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SUBJECTS: Patients hospitalized with RSV LRIs at seven centers were eligible for study if they were younger than 2 years of age, or hospitalized patients of any age if they had underlying cardiac or pulmonary disease or immunosuppression. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Enrolled (n = 689) and eligible but not enrolled (n = 191) patients were similar in age, duration of illness and proportion with underlying illness, use of intensive care, and ventilation. Of the enrolled patients, 156 had underlying illness. The isolates from 353 patients were typeable: 102 isolates were subgroup A, 250 were subgroup B, and one isolated grouped with both antisera. The mean hospital stay attributable to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was 7 days; 110 patients were admitted to intensive care units, 63 were supported by mechanical ventilation, and 6 patients died. Regression models were developed for the prediction of three outcomes: RSV-associated hospital duration, intensive care unit admission, and ventilation treatment. In addition to previously described risk factors for an increased morbidity, such as underlying illness, hypoxia, prematurity and young age, three other factors were found to be significantly associated with complicated hospitalization: aboriginal race (defined by maternal race), a history of apnea or respiratory arrest during the acute illness before hospitalization, and pulmonary consolidation as shown on the chest radiograph obtained at admission. The RSV subgroup, family income, and day care attendance were not significantly associated with these outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoxia on admission, a history of apnea or respiratory arrest, and pulmonary consolidation should be considered in the management of children with RSV LRIs. Vaccine trials should target patients with underlying heart or lung disease or of aboriginal race.

Role of conventional physiotherapy in cystic fibrosis.

Because of the time and the emotional cost involved in performing daily conventional chest physiotherapy in patients with cystic fibrosis, a 3-year prospective study was undertaken to compare the long-term effects of postural drainage accompanied by percussion and the forced expiratory technique with the effects of the forced expiratory technique alone. Patients who performed the forced expiratory technique alone had mean annual rates of decline that were significantly different from zero for forced expiratory volume in 1 second (p less than 0.001), forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity (p less than 0.001), and Shwachman clinical score (p less than 0.004). In the group performing conventional physiotherapy with percussion and postural drainage, only the mean annual rate of decline for forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity was significantly different from zero (p less than 0.03), and it was significantly different from the mean rate of decline associated with the forces expiratory technique alone (p less than 0.04). We conclude that conventional chest physiotherapy should remain a standard component of therapy in cystic fibrosis.

Influence of the heat treatment of human milk on some of its protective constituents.

Human milk was subjected to heat treatments of graded severity and examined for its content of immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, lysozyme, vitamin B12-and folate-binder proteins, and lactoperoxidase. Holder pasteurization (62.5degrees C 30 minutes) reduced the IgA titer by 20%, and destroyed the small content of IgM and most of the lactoferrin. Lysozyme was stable to this treatment, but with an increase in temperature there was progressive destruction, to near 100% at 100degrees C. The same was broadly true of the capacity of milk to bind folic acid and potect it against bacterial uptake; with vitamin B12 the binder was more labile at 75degrees C than at 100degrees C. The milk contained no detectable lactoperoxidase.