Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus and palivizumab: Where are we in 2014?
Highlights
Palivizumab is a recombinant humanized murine monoclonal antibody directed against an epitope on the F glycoprotein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
Should the complexity of neonatal intensive care unit discharge date be factored in when deciding which infants to prophylax? A study from British Columbia showed that discharge date is more predictive of RSV hospitalization than birth date [7]
Should palivizumab be used to potentially prevent outbreaks of nosocomial RSV in neonatal intensive care units, as it is being used in some Canadian centres? Administering doses to infants long before the anticipated discharge date adds to the expense in an attempt to prevent a relatively rare event
Summary
Palivizumab is a recombinant humanized murine monoclonal antibody directed against an epitope on the F glycoprotein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Most Canadian children are offered palivizumab monthly throughout their first and sometimes their second RSV season if they were born before 32 weeks’ gestational age, have chronic lung disease of prematurity or have hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease. Indications for palivizumab remain controversial because the drug is costly (the drug cost in Canada is approximately $7,500 for five doses for a child with a mean weight of 5 kg).
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