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The Respiratory Syncytial Virus Affects our Country Every Year
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San José, Costa Rica. Julio, 2016.
The clinical picture usually begins with a common cold and around the third day, the child´s evolution begins with a cough, usually with phlegm, and can quickly evolve into a respiratory difficult.
This virus causes an inflammation of the bronchioles in the airways which can lead to mucous plugs or an excess of mucus in them, which will cause obstruction causing a bad exchange of gases, bad respiratory function and depending on the extension of the obstruction of the area affected, the child may suffer from respiratory failure that results in a need of oxygen and in very severe cases, may need assisted ventilation and hospitalization in intensive care units.
According to Dr.Jorge Martínez Vásquez, pediatrician of the Clinica Biblica Hospital, “this clinical picture is a bronchiolitis and is clinically similar to asthma with the difference that it usually does not respond to asthma treatment. It is a disease of infectious origin and is self-limited. It seldom appears again in the child, whereas asthma is an allergic disease with a hereditary component and does tend to be repetitive.”
Premature children, those with congenital cardiopathy, the undernourished and children less than 1 year-old are those in greater risk.
“This virus can lead to important repercussions such as respiratory failure and the possibility of death. Some children, especially the very young ones, may continue to have symptoms similar to asthma, although not so serious, with infections of the airways until they are 5 years-old,” said the pediatrician.
In order to prevent this virus the first thing is to avoid taking the child to places where there are sick people, closed and crowded locations, practice good hand washing measures as well as the sneezing and coughing technique.
If you wish to request an appointment in any of the medical specialties, please contact the private hospital Clínica Bíblica at telephone number 2522-1000, by email at citas@clinicabiblica.com or via live chat at the website: www.clinicabiblica.com
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The diagnosis can be clinical in most cases, but a chest x-ray and a hemogram can be performed. A certain diagnosis can be made with a test called PCR by RSV.
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Clínica Bíblica Hospital
