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Aerosolized ribavirin-based therapy reduced mortality risk in RSV
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Ribavirin-based antiviral therapy for patients with respiratory syncytial virus infections can help prevent morbidity and mortality, according to study results.
“In the absence of new antiviral agents with proven efficacy against RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] in patients with underlying immunodeficiencies, aerosolized ribavirin should be considered early on to prevent some of the morbidity and mortality associated with this type of viral infection,” study researcher Roy F. Chemaly, MD, MPH, told Infectious Disease News.
Roy F. Chemaly
The retrospective study included data from all laboratory-confirmed RSV infections in 280 allo-HSCT recipients.
Researchers found that 29% of the participants developed a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) within 20 days and 16% died with 90 days of an RSV diagnosis. Most infections were community-acquired (89%). Seventy percent of the participants were hospitalized for a median duration of 8 days, 9% required intensive care and 6% required mechanical ventilation as a result of complications.
According to researchers, aerosolized ribavirin-based therapy at the URTI stage was significant in reducing the risk for RSV LRTI (83%), all-cause mortality (57%) and RSV-associated mortality (87%) in the patients, regardless of year of diagnosis.
“Our results demonstrate that RSV infections are a great cause of morbidity and mortality in high-risk allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) recipients, and ribavirin-based-therapy at the upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) stage had a positive impact on both outcomes in this vulnerable population with multiple risk factors,” the researchers wrote.
Disclosure: One researcher reports receiving a grant from ADMA Biologics and Valeant Pharmaceuticals.
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