2-month-old girl with respiratory failure and severe pneumonia due to RSV

SKĐS - The child was hospitalized in a state of respiratory failure and severe pneumonia caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Fortunately, the baby was promptly treated by doctors at Phu Tho Province Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital and is now out of danger.

On December 3, Phu Tho Provincial Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital announced that patient NBD (residing in Van Phu Ward, Phu Tho) was transferred from a private general hospital to Phu Tho Provincial Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital on the night of November 28, 2025 in a state of difficulty breathing, cyanosis, severe respiratory failure, severe wheezing, and a lot of phlegm secretion, and had an endotracheal tube placed.

According to the family, the child began to show symptoms of illness such as mild cough and runny nose from November 23, 2025. The family took the child to a private hospital in the province for examination and treatment.

After 5 days of treatment, the child's condition did not improve much, even experiencing respiratory failure, so the doctors placed an endotracheal tube and transferred him to Phu Tho Province Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital.

Here, after a clinical examination, the doctor determined that this was an emergency, the child had severe respiratory failure. Immediately, the emergency doctors suctioned sputum to clear the airway, and at the same time used a high-intensity ventilator to treat the respiratory failure.

After emergency treatment, the child's respiratory and circulatory condition was stable. The child was ordered to undergo tests, chest X-ray, echocardiogram, and was diagnosed with severe respiratory failure and severe pneumonia caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The child was treated according to a regimen to prevent respiratory failure and treat pneumonia, including mechanical ventilation, antibiotics, and correction of acid-base disorders combined with percussion and sputum suction.

After 3 days of treatment, the child's endotracheal tube was removed. Photo: BVCC

After 3 days of intensive treatment, the child's respiratory condition improved, the endotracheal tube was removed on December 1, 2025, and oxygen was switched to nasal prongs. Up to now, after 5 days of treatment, the child's health has improved a lot, the pneumonia and respiratory failure have improved but the doctors are still closely monitoring and actively treating him.

How dangerous is RSV infection in children?

Doctor Nguyen Cong Minh - Department of Intensive Care and Anti-Poison said, RSV is one of the leading causes of respiratory diseases in infants and young children with the disease progressing rapidly, easily leading to respiratory failure if not detected early and treated promptly.

RSV often spreads strongly during the winter-spring and spring-summer transitions, especially dangerous for children under 2 months old, premature and malnourished patients, and patients with congenital diseases.

According to Dr. Minh, RSV pneumonia is dangerous because the disease can spread through the respiratory tract, through contact with droplets after sneezing, coughing, and the virus can survive for many hours on surfaces such as tables, chairs, clothes, toys, and caregivers' hands. The disease often starts with symptoms similar to the common cold such as cough, runny nose, wheezing, and possibly a mild fever. This condition lasts 1-2 days, making it easy for parents and caregivers to confuse children.

In some cases, from the third day onwards, the disease progresses rapidly, with symptoms of nasal congestion, increased coughing, wheezing, irritation, high fever... more severe cases can lead to respiratory failure, this condition lasts for 3-4 days.

Usually, the disease will gradually subside after 7 days and will be completely cured after 2 weeks of RSV infection. However, in some cases, wheezing lasts for a few weeks after that.

Therefore, doctors recommend that parents need to closely monitor respiratory signs in young children and take their children to the doctor early when they have a fever, cough, runny nose, crying a lot and go to the hospital immediately when they see critical signs such as poor feeding, fatigue, labored breathing, cyanosis, etc.

To limit RSV infection, parents and caregivers need to:

• Pay attention to keeping the living environment clean and airy.
• Make it a habit to wash your hands before caring for children and after sneezing or coughing.
• Regularly clean children's toys, limit taking children to crowded places, and avoid letting children come into contact with people suspected of being infected.
• Especially avoid environments with cigarette smoke.
• Get full vaccinations and improve nutrition to improve physical condition...

Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/be-gai-2-thang-tuoi-suy-ho-hap-viem-phoi-nang-do-rsv-169251203194124111.htm