Management of Infants Treated for Respiratory Viral Infections: A Finnish Retrospective Register-Based Study

Background and Aims: Viral respiratory tract infections are common in all age groups, and they are responsible for a vast number of health care visits every year. Furthermore, the incidence of respiratory infections is the highest in children. We aimed to determine how infants presenting with fever and symptoms of respiratory infections were treated at Tampere University Hospital (Tays) and their responses to treatment. The secondary purpose was to describe the specific diagnosis behind the respiratory symptoms. Methods: This study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics in Tays, Finland. Inclusion criteria were age < 1 year, fever, and symptoms of a respiratory infection. We documented from the electronic patient records the medication and other treatments the infants received during their hospital stays. For infants given the same medication multiple times, only the first dosing and response to that medication were documented. Results: The study included 119 episodes (117 infants), 50 (42%) of whom were hospitalized. Symptom-relieving medications, such as paracetamol, were used frequently, with generally good responses. Overall, 59% of the infants were administered antibiotics, the most common indication being otitis media. The most common primary or secondary diagnosis was bronchiolitis or bronchitis (43%). Conclusion: Nearly half of the infants needed hospitalization. Symptom-relieving medications, such as analgesics, were a key treatment choice, and the responses were generally good. Although the majority of the infants had a viral infection, antibiotics were used frequently, at least partially due to secondary bacterial infections.