• Criteria can be dependent on age and prior health history

• Mostly, if the child is experiencing respiratory distress and needs to be monitored, needs oxygen therapy, needs routine albuterol or other respiratory treatments, and/or requires IV fluid therapy, will the child be admitted.

• Depending on your child's needs, the provider might prescribe:

  • Oxygen therapy

  • O2 and pulse monitoring: the child's O2 levels should be higher than 92%

  • Tylenol and Ibuprofen for fevers

  • IV fluids to help maintain fluid intake and prevent dehydration

  • Respiratory treatments, such as inhaled albuterol to keep the child's airway open

  • Steriods to reduce inflammation in the lungs

  • Suctioning as needed to clear secretions from the airway

  • Antibiotic therapy*

*Sometimes the provider might order antibiotic therapy for these patients if they suspect there is a bacterial infection in the lungs such as pneumonia. Antibiotics will not work to treat RSV alone because it is a viral infection.

• Sometimes RSV can cause infants and children to go into respiratory distress, meaning that the body is working really hard to be able to breathe.

• The child will usually show retractions when breathing. You'll be able to see their ribcage when they inhale. Sometimes, children can breathe with their bellies instead of their chest. Belly breathing is a sign of respiratory distress

• Children in respiratory distress often look uncomfortable breathing, or like they are trying very hard to breathe

• Children and infants will breathe rapidly in attempt to oxygenate their bodies while in distress. This can cause their heart rates to increase and become tachycardic.

• When this happens, the nurse can suction the child, prvoide oxygen therapy, and give medications to help induce comfort and reduce inflammation.

• Depending on the length of time and severity of the distress, the provider may also prescribe an IV fluid bolus of normal saline (water with 0.9% sodium chloride) to reduce the stress of the heart to pump oxygenated blood to the body

• In more severe cases, the child might start to turn pale or blue due to inadequate oxygenation to the body. This is a medical emergency

This is not an exhaustive list, and criteria can vary depending on the child's medical history. Generally though, the provider might be comfortable sending the child home when these criteria are met:

• When the child is breathing normally and is not in any respiratory distress

• When the child is able to breathe and oxygenate themself adequately (O2 greater than 92%) without needing supplemental oxygen therapy or frequent breathing treatments

• When the child is able to eat and drink adequately, and is having normal wet diapers or is using the restroom normally.

• When the child is not throwing up

• When the child's fevers are adequately controlled

• RSV can be prevented by taking simple measures

• Hand hygiene - as with any virus, good, frequent handwashing can prevent spread of infection to children

• Covering your face when coughing or sneezing. RSV spreads similarly to COVID, through the air.

• Avoid kissing/close airborne contact with an infant if you have cold-like symptoms. Infants are much more likely to get sick from RSV.

• While a vaccine is possibly in the works, right now, simple preventative mesaures can help mitigate the risk