Sammanfattning
Introduction: The aim of the study was to describe the course of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in children under two years of age seen in general practice. Material and methods: Children under two years of age presenting acute respiratory infection during the registration period on 59 GPs' lists participated in the study. The GPs recorded data on a registration chart and a questionnaire was sent to the parents of the children in question one month after the date of inclusion. The children were tested in general practice for the presence of RSV. The GPs' objective findings and choice of treatment as well as the parents' account of the course of disease were compared in children with and without the presence of RSV. A total of 221 children participated in the study. Results: Fiftyseven children were found RSV positive (25.8%). Among the RSV positive children there were significantly more with wheezing audibly detected with examination by stethoscope than among the RSV negative. The remaining parameters (the GP's objective examination, treatment and course of the disease) were distributed independently of the result of the RSV analysis. Discussion: The results showed that RSV infections in children under two years in general practice are frequent and that the clinical picture most often is uncomplicated.