Cough - should I take infant in to be sure it isn't RSV?

[Anonymous]

OP here, thanks! To the answers about what we would do differently if we knew it was RSV ... the answer may be nothing! I do not know enough about treatments for this illness, but if (like it sounds from posters here) the treatment is the same for cold and RSV, then I guess there isn't really any benefit to "knowing" which one it is.

I just wasn't sure if there was anything specific that would be different for treatment.

I did call the nurse line and they basically said "up to you! bring her in if you want!" OK... super helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks! To the answers about what we would do differently if we knew it was RSV ... the answer may be nothing! I do not know enough about treatments for this illness, but if (like it sounds from posters here) the treatment is the same for cold and RSV, then I guess there isn't really any benefit to "knowing" which one it is.

I just wasn't sure if there was anything specific that would be different for treatment.

I did call the nurse line and they basically said "up to you! bring her in if you want!" OK... super helpful.

When my 18mo had RSV she was given a steroid to help her airways (or something), so there are some treatments available but only your doctor will know what is needed. If your office seems like it has appointments and coming in wouldn't be a burden, can't hurt - might help.

[Anonymous]

Also, be sure to watch videos on youtube on how to recognize labored breathing. It's distinctive but you might miss it if you're not sure what to look for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks! To the answers about what we would do differently if we knew it was RSV ... the answer may be nothing! I do not know enough about treatments for this illness, but if (like it sounds from posters here) the treatment is the same for cold and RSV, then I guess there isn't really any benefit to "knowing" which one it is.

I just wasn't sure if there was anything specific that would be different for treatment.

I did call the nurse line and they basically said "up to you! bring her in if you want!" OK... super helpful.

When my 18mo had RSV she was given a steroid to help her airways (or something), so there are some treatments available but only your doctor will know what is needed. If your office seems like it has appointments and coming in wouldn't be a burden, can't hurt - might help.

There was some interest some time back on whether steroids or bronchodilators would help RSV, but it's pretty clear that they do not. The recommendation is now against this practice, based on the evidence (but not everyone is following up to date practice, or is aware of it -- and sometimes you are dealing with pediatricians, sometimes family or ED docs, sometimes NPs or PAs).

Here is Mayo in RSV and treatments: "Treatment for respiratory syncytial virus generally involves self-care measures to make your child more comfortable (supportive care). But hospital care may be needed if severe symptoms occur. ... An inhaler (bronchodilator) or steroids are not proved to be helpful in treating RSV infection." https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/respiratory-syncytial-virus/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353104

But of course, if severe symptoms occur with any virus, hospital care may be needed. The advice above about recognizing labored breathing is perfect!

Best of luck with it, OP. Hope all goes smoothly.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP,
I just took my 9 month old in to urgent care last night. Here is how I knew how to go:

He was breathing fast.
His nostrils flared occasionally while breathing.
He had minor retractions when breathing (with each breath, you could see an indentation around his sternum- this can also appear around the ribs or between the clavicles).

I also contacted the after hours line for my pediatricians office and sent them a video of him breathing. The on-call physician advised me that I should take him to urgent care so that someone could listen to his lungs.

At the urgent care pediatrician, they listened to his breathing and heard a bit of tightness and a tiny hint of wheeze. They gave him a nebulizer treatment with albuterol, and then reassessed. Because his breathing sounded better after the treatment, they sent me home with a nebulizer machine and a prescription for albuterol, with instructions to repeat the treatment every 4 hours.

If he had not responded to the in-office nebulizer treatment, they would have sent me to the hospital for oxygen.

Today we had a follow-up and he tested positive for RSV. I was advised to continue the nebulizer 4 hour treatments until at least Sunday.

My point, other than hopefully providing helpful info about what a progression of treatment would look like, is that it didn't matter whether it was RSV or adenovirus or something else that caused the breathing issues. The breathing issues themselves are what will send you in and what you should be watching for.