OBJECTIVE:To identify the viruses involved in acute respiratory tract infections and to analyze the rates of hospitalization and death in children on palivizumab prophylaxis.METHODS:Prospective cohort of 198 infants up to one year old who were born before 29 weeks of gestational age and infants under two years old with hemodynamically unstable cardiopathy or chronic pulmonary disease who received prophylactic palivizumab against severe respiratory syncytial virus infections in 2008. During the study period, in each episode of acute respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngeal aspirate was collected to identify respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, parainfluenza 1, 2 and 3, influenza A and B by direct immunofluorescence, rhinovirus and metapneumovirus by polymerase chain reaction preceded by reverse transcription. Data regarding hospitalization and deaths were monitored.RESULTS:Among the 198 studied infants, 117 (59.1%) presented acute respiratory tract infections, with a total of 175 episodes. Of the 76 nasopharyngeal aspirates collected during respiratory tract infections, 37 were positive, as follow: rhinovirus (75.7%), respiratory syncytial virus (18.9%), parainfluenza (8.1%), adenovirus 2 (2.7%), metapneumovirus (2.7%) and three samples presented multiple agents. Of the 198 children, 48 (24.4%) were hospitalized: 30 (15.2%) for non-infectious etiology and 18 (9.1%) for respiratory causes. Among these 18 children, one case of respiratory syncytial virus was identified. Two deaths were reported, but respiratory syncytial virus was not identified.CONCLUSIONS:During the prophylaxis period, low frequency of respiratory syncytial virus infections and low rates of hospitalization were observed, suggesting the benefit of palivizumab prophylaxis.

Palivizumab is currently recommended to high-risk children as a prophylaxis for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. However, it is still very expensive for developing countries like Brazil. Herein, we describe our strategy to minimize wastage of Palivizumab during the 2008 RSV season. Appointments were fixed for 304 children on 2 days of the week, so that a mean of 19.9 children received Palivizumab per day. That allowed remaining volumes of Palivizumab vials to be pooled and used for other children on the same day within the 6 h period after opening a vial. That strategy saved 26.3% of vials, which represents USD $749,143.75.

RESUMO Objetivo: verificar a ocorrência e o tipo mais frequente de alteração auditiva em crianças expostas a toxoplasmose durante a gestação. Métodos: estudo retrospectivo longitudinal realizado em instituição pública de saúde de São Paulo. Análise de prontuários de crianças nascidas entre 2010 e 2015 distribuídos em dois grupos: grupo estudo, composto por 48 crianças de mães com diagnóstico de toxoplasmose durante a gestação; e grupo controle, composto por 43 crianças sem infecção congênita que foram acompanhadas por apresentar baixo peso ao nascimento. As crianças foram avaliadas de duas a quatro vezes durante os dois primeiros anos de vida, por meio de testes que avaliam a função auditiva periférica e central. Resultados: 47 crianças fizeram apenas duas avaliações e apenas 11 completaram todas as avaliações até 24 meses. No grupo controle 58,1% apresentaram audição normal, 37,2% perda condutiva, 4,7% perda coclear e ausência de alteração retrococlear, enquanto o grupo estudo apresentou 56,3% de audição normal, 20,8% de perda condutiva, 2,1% de perda coclear e 20,8% de alteração retrococlear. Conclusão: crianças expostas à toxoplasmose durante a gestação não diferiram das não expostas em relação à ocorrência de perda auditiva coclear e condutiva. Entretanto, apresentaram maior ocorrência de alteração retrococlear.

The human respiratory syncytial virus (HHRSV) has a remarkable importance as a causative agent of respiratory tract infection in children. Preterm infants or those affected by some chronic conditions are especially compromised by HHRSV infection. Monoclonal antibodies against HRSV F protein have been used to prevent severe disease. This study evaluates a group of 58 newborns (median age 10 months) in use of Palivizumab® prophylaxis presenting any symptom of respiratory tract infection by tests currently available. Positive nasopharyngeal samples were then analyzed and viral load compared to a control group of non-risk outpatient's children without prophylaxis.The detection was 15.9% (11/69) with any of the assays, and increased with the use of molecular techniques (36.3% for qPCR). Out of 58 children in use of palivizumab four developed bronchilolitis.There was no difference on viral load between children in prophylaxis with severe disease or mild symptoms and children without prophylaxis (p = 0.4).According to this preliminary data monoclonal antibody mechanism of disease suppression seems not to be directly correlated to the amount of viral replication.