Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Young Children Hospitalized with Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infection
Suchada Sritippayawan MD*, Nuanchan Prapphal MD*, Piansak Wong MD*, Piyaratana Tosukhowong MSc**, Rujipat Samransamruajkit MD*, Jitladda Deerojanawong MD*
Affiliation : * Division of Pulmonology and Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University ** Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
Objective : The present study was performed to determine the relationship between environmental tobacco
smoke (ETS) exposure and acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRI) caused by respiratory syncytial virus
(RSV) in children.
Materials and Methods : The authors did the study in 71 children (median age 12 months; 60% male) who were
admitted to King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital with acute LRI between June and September 2004. 27%
had RSV infection.
Results : RSV-LRI required longer duration of oxygen therapy than non RSV-LRI (4.5 + 1.7 vs 2.8 + 1.3 days;
p < 0.001). Desaturation in room air was more common in the former group compared to the latter group (37
vs 11%; p = 0.01). There was no difference in urinary cotinine level between the two groups (median 0.5 vs 0.6
mcg/mg Cr; ns). Among RSV-LRI, those with desaturation had higher urinary cotinine level than those without
desaturation (median 0.8 vs 0.0 mcg/mg Cr; p = 0.04).
Conclusion : ETS exposure was not associated with RSV-LRI but increased the risk of desaturation in these
patients.
Keywords : RSV, Passive smoking, Children, Cotinine, Acute lower respiratory tract infection
