Comparison of cytokine expression profiles in infants with a rhinovirus induced lower respiratory tract infection with or without wheezing: a comparison with respiratory syncytial virus

Roh, Da Eun; Park, Sook-Hyun; Choi, Hee Joung; Kim, Yeo Hyang

The clinical characteristics for each patient are listed in Table 1 . The duration of fever and cough before hospitalization were not significantly different between the groups. On the 1st day of admission, 2 patients in the RV group and 2 patients in the RSV group experienced hypoxia (room air saturation<92%) 9) , and the frequency of hypoxia on the 1st day of admission was not significantly different between two groups. Wheezing was present in 48% of the patients (45% of patients in the RV group and 74% of patients in the RSV group), and the frequency of wheezing was higher in the RSV group than in the RV group (P=0.005). No significant differences were found between the 2 groups with regards to the duration of fever after hospitalization, administration of antibiotics, and duration of hospital stay. When patients showed aggravated respiratory symptoms (dyspnea or hypoxia) dur ing hospitalization, we added oxygen therapy and systemic corticosteroid administration. Despite of our policy for treatment, the requirement for additional oxygen therapy was not significantly dif ferent between the 2 groups, However, the number of patients that required systemic corticosteroid administration was greater in the RSV group than in to the RV group (P=0.001).