Open Access

Efficacy and safety of interferon on neonates with respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia

  • Authors:
    • Lingyun He
    • Lu Yang
    • Hua Zhang
    • Qian Luo
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: October 15, 2020     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2020.9350
  • Article Number: 220
  • Copyright: © He et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) pneumonia is a leading cause of hospitalization and mortality among neonates worldwide, and there are currently no specific clinical treatments for RSV infection. Interferons (IFNs) possess broad‑spectrum antiviral properties, and the present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IFN‑α1b for the treatment of neonatal RSV pneumonia. Neonates with RSV pneumonia were divided into the treatment (126 neonates) and control (160 neonates) groups, the former of which were treated with IFN. Aside from IFN administration, both groups received the same routine treatments. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between the two groups. All neonates in the two groups displayed symptoms such as a cough (93.0%), tachypnea (90.1%), perilabial cyanosis (67.8%), choking on milk (62.9%) and moist rales (58.4%), and no significant differences in the occurrence of these symptoms were observed between the groups (P>0.05). The percentage of cases with bacterial co‑infection was 66.8% (191/286), and the bacterial species in the spectrum primarily included Escherichia coli (21.5%), Klebsiella pneumonia (20.4%), Staphylococcus aureus (17.2%), Acihetobacter baumanii (13.1%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.9%). There were no significant differences in the co‑infection rate or bacterial spectrum between the two groups. The remission time of cough, tachypnea, choking on milk, perilabial cyanosis, moist rales and oxygen inhalation in the treatment group was significantly lower compared with the control group (P<0.05). Although the hospitalization time in the treatment group was shorter compared with the control group, the difference was not significant. There were two patients in the treatment group that developed fever within 2‑6 h after receiving IFN‑α1b, though no other adverse effects were observed. In conclusion, IFN‑α1b treatment improved the symptoms associated with neonatal RSV pneumonia with minimal adverse effects.
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December-2020
Volume 20 Issue 6

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Spandidos Publications style
He L, Yang L, Zhang H and Luo Q: Efficacy and safety of interferon on neonates with respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia. Exp Ther Med 20: 220, 2020
APA
He, L., Yang, L., Zhang, H., & Luo, Q. (2020). Efficacy and safety of interferon on neonates with respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 20, 220. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2020.9350
MLA
He, L., Yang, L., Zhang, H., Luo, Q."Efficacy and safety of interferon on neonates with respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 20.6 (2020): 220.
Chicago
He, L., Yang, L., Zhang, H., Luo, Q."Efficacy and safety of interferon on neonates with respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 20, no. 6 (2020): 220. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2020.9350