Palivizumab prophylaxis during respiratory syncytial virus outbreak in the neonatal intensive care unit: Author's reply

摘要

We would like to thank Alan et al.1 for sharing their experience regarding two outbreaks in their neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The authors seek the answer to who should be included in the prophylaxis strategy during an outbreak. We agree that cover of palivizumab prophylaxis is a big challenge during a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) outbreak in the NICU. Despite the lack of data, the higher morbidity and mortality rates with RSV infection in hospitalized patients increase its importance in the NICU care.Although palivizumab is not recommended routinely, it has been used for the control of nosocomial RSV outbreaks in the NICUs previously3'5. In addition to standard infection control measures, administration of palivizumab successfully prevented uncontrolled RSV outbreaks in these reports.