Effectiveness of palivizumab: evaluation of outcomes from the 1998 to 1999 respiratory syncytial virus season

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Abstract
Background. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains a significant cause of morbidity, especially in premature infants and immunocompromised children, resulting in approximately 100 000 hospitalizations annually. A study was performed to evaluate the outcomes of those given palivizumab (Synagis; MedImmune, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD) during the 1998 to 1999 RSV season, its first season in general use. Methods. A retrospective chart review of 1839 patients from 9 United States sites was conducted, representing all patients given palivizumab at each site. Those evaluated were to have a gestational age of ≤35 weeks, were to be 35 weeks and were included in the analysis. Conclusions. Only 2.3% of children receiving palivizumab prophylaxis were hospitalized with RSV lower respiratory infection. This compares favorably with the rates observed in the pivotal trial (IMpact-RSV trial in 1996 to 1997), in which prophylaxis reduced hospitalization from 10.6% in the placebo group to 4.8% in those children receiving prophylaxis.

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