Although respiratory syncytial virus infections each year have a considerable socioeconomic impact, attempts to find an effective therapy have so far been quite unsuccessful. Anti-viral therapy with ribavirin has not been proven to be effective. Symptomatic therapy with bronchodilators may give only short-term relief of symptoms in some individual patients, but has no effect on hospitalisation rates, or duration of hospitalisation. The beneficial effect of corticosteroids in patients with mild respiratory syncytial virus infection is very disappointing, however, there are indications that there might be an effect in patients with more severe infection. So far no beneficial therapeutic effect has been demonstrated with immune globulins.
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