What it means
A virus that almost every child catches by age 2. In most people it causes a cold, but in young infants, premature babies, older adults and people with heart or lung disease it can infect the small airways (bronchiolitis) and the lungs. Signs include a runny nose, cough, wheezingWEEZ-ingA high-pitched, whistling sound made as air moves through narrowed airways.Full entry , fast breathing and poor feeding. It spreads through droplets and on hands and surfaces.
For the nurse
Use contact and droplet precautions as the facility requires, and keep up strict hand hygiene. In an infant, watch breathing effort, oxygen saturation, feeding and wet diapers, and keep the nose clear with suction, since infants breathe through the nose.
At a glance
| Abbreviations | RSV |
|---|---|
| Spanish | virus respiratorio sincitial |
| Also written | RSV |