Everyone Healthy Library
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
! Seek urgent medical care if warning signs appear
Some health conditions or symptoms can become urgent. Use this page for education, but seek help quickly if warning signs are present.
Get urgent medical care now if there is any severe, sudden, rapidly worsening or worrying symptom, especially:
- chest pain, pressure or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back
- trouble breathing, blue lips, severe wheeze or choking
- stroke-like symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness or speech trouble
- collapse, fainting, seizure, confusion or extreme drowsiness
- severe bleeding, black stools, vomiting blood or major injury
- severe allergic reaction, swelling of the face/throat or widespread rash with breathing trouble
- severe abdominal pain, severe headache, stiff neck or sudden vision change
- signs of severe dehydration, sepsis, high fever with worsening illness, or symptoms in a baby/young child that concern you
Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Linked signs and symptoms
9Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
Linked drugs / medications
0No linked drugs are listed yet.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
4Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Alternative and complementary therapies
2Alternative medicine
1Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
33These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
- 2,3 Diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) Concentration
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) Concentration
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Albumin Concentration
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Protein Concentration
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Protein Electrophoresis
- Cerebrospinal Fluid White Cell Differential
- Chloride Concentration (Blood)
- Cholesterol Concentration
- Cholinesterase (Serum Acetylcholinesterase, Pseudocholinesterase)
- D-Dimer Blood Test
- Eosinophils Count
- Ferritin Concentration
- Fibrin Degradation Products (FDPs, Fibrin Split Products, FSPs, Fibrin Breakdown Products, Fbps)
- Fibrin Monomers Test
- Fibrinogen Concentration test
- Fibrinopeptide A (FPA) Action Assay
- Glucagon Concentration Test
- Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Concentration
- haptoglobin (Hp) concentration
- Lymphocyte Immunophenotyping
- Maximum Voluntary Ventilation (MVV)
- Monocyte Absolute Count
- Neutrophil Absolute Count
- Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR)
- Peak Inspiratory Flow Rate (PIFR)
- Plasminogen Activity
- Platelet Count
- Potassium Concentration (K, Blood)
- Protein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus Serology Test (RSV Serology)
- Spirometry
- Urine glucose concentration
- White Blood Cell (WBC) Count
Biological markers/agents
38This visual map shows biological markers/agents reported as increased or decreased with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
24- 2,3 Diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 10.5–14 µmol/gLinked diagnostic tests2, 3 Diphosphoglycerate (2
- Albumin (Cerebrospinal Fluid, CSF)Reference range exampleAll: 10–35 mg/dL; All: 56–76 %Linked diagnostic testsCerebrospinal Fluid Albumin Concentration, Cerebrospinal Fluid Protein Electrophoresis
- Alpha-1 Antintrypsin (AAT)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 90–215 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsAlpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) Concentration
- Alpha-1-Globulin (Blood, Serum)Reference range exampleAll: 0.1–0.3 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Alpha-2-Globulin (Blood, Serum)Reference range exampleAll: 0.6–1 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Cerebrospinal Fluid LeukocytesReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–5 /µL; 1y - 6y: 0–20 /µLLinked diagnostic testsCerebrospinal Fluid White Cell Differential
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Total ProteinReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 15–45 mg/dL; Child (< 10y): 15–70 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsCerebrospinal Fluid Protein Concentration
- Cholesterol (Total)Reference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 75–180 mg/dL; Adult ( > 16y): 0–190 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsCholesterol Concentration
- D-DimerReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–240 µg/LLinked diagnostic testsD-Dimer Blood Test
- FerritinReference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 7–140 µg/L; Adult ( > 16y), Female: 18–160 µg/LLinked diagnostic testsFerritin Concentration
- Fibrin MonomersReference range example0–10,000 µg/LLinked diagnostic testsFibrin Monomers Test
- Fibrin Split ProductsReference range exampleAll: 0–1 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsFibrin Degradation Products (FDPs, Fibrin Split Products
- FibrinogenReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 150–400 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsFibrinogen Concentration test
- Fibrinopeptide A (FPA)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 0.7–3.1 mg/mL; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 0.35–2.5 mg/mLLinked diagnostic testsFibrinopeptide A (FPA) Action Assay
- Gamma Globulin (Blood, Serum)Reference range exampleAll: 0.8–1.7 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- GlucagonReference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 0–147 pg/mL; Adult ( > 16y): 20–110 pg/mLLinked diagnostic testsGlucagon Concentration Test
- haptoglobin (Hp)Reference range example45–200 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testshaptoglobin (Hp) concentration
- MonocytesReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 3–7 %; 0.1–0.5 million/mLLinked diagnostic testsDifferential White Blood Cell Count Tests, Monocyte Absolute Count
- PlasminogenReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 65–153 %; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 70–120 %Linked diagnostic testsPlasminogen Activity
- Potassium (K, Blood)AbbreviationKReference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 4.1–5.3 mEq/L; Child (0 - 16y): 3.4–4.7 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsPotassium Concentration (K, Blood)
- PrealbuminReference range exampleAll: 2–7 %Linked diagnostic testsCerebrospinal Fluid Protein Electrophoresis
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus Serology (Specific Antibodies for RSV)Reference range exampleAll: 0–1 NegativeLinked diagnostic testsRespiratory Syncytial Virus Serology Test (RSV Serology)
- Urine glucoseReference range example0–2.5; Adult ( > 16y): 0–2.5 mmol/dayLinked diagnostic testsUrine glucose concentration
- White Blood Cell (WBC)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 4.5–10.5 million/mL; Adult ( > 16y): 3.2–10 million/mLLinked diagnostic testsWhite Blood Cell (WBC) Count
Often decreased
14- Chloride (Blood, Cl)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 97–106 mEq/L; Birth - 2wks: 94–106 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsChloride Concentration (Blood)
- CholinesteraseReference range exampleAll: 6–19 U/mLLinked diagnostic testsCholinesterase (Serum Acetylcholinesterase, Pseudocholinesterase)
- EosinophilsReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–3 %; 0–3 %Linked diagnostic testsDifferential White Blood Cell Count Tests, Eosinophil Differential Of Total WBC
- Forced Expiratory Flow Between 25% and 75% of FVC (FEF25-75)Reference range exampleAll: 60–100 %Linked diagnostic testsSpirometry
- Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 10.1–18.5 U/gHb; Birth - 2wks: 12–23 U/gHbLinked diagnostic testsGlucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Concentration
- Helper T cells (CD3(plus), CD4(plus))Reference range example589–1,505 cells/mm3; 32–61Linked diagnostic testsHelper T cells (CD3(plus), CD4(plus)) Count
- Maximum Voluntary Ventilation (MVV)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 80–180 L/minute; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 140–180 L/minuteLinked diagnostic testsMaximum Voluntary Ventilation (MVV)
- Natural Killer Cells (CD16 Percentage)Reference range exampleAll: 4–30 %Linked diagnostic testsLymphocyte Immunophenotyping
- Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 410–450 L/minute; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 540–590 L/minuteLinked diagnostic testsPeak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR)
- Peak Inspiratory Flow Rate (PIFR)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 250–330 L/minuteLinked diagnostic testsPeak Inspiratory Flow Rate (PIFR)
- PlateletsReference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 150–450 109/L; Adult ( > 16y): 135–380 109/LLinked diagnostic testsPlatelet Count
- Segmented NeutrophilsReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 50–62 %; Adult ( > 16y): 2,500–8,000 mm3Linked diagnostic testsDifferential White Blood Cell Count Tests, Neutrophil Absolute Count
- T-Suppressor (CD8) CellsReference range exampleAll: 15–40 %Linked diagnostic testsLymphocyte Immunophenotyping
- Total T cells (CD3(plus))Reference range exampleAll: 55–90 %; 812–2,318 cells/mm3Linked diagnostic testsLymphocyte Immunophenotyping, Total T Cells (CD3(plus)) Count
Introduction / full article
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection
Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:
Larch (Larix Occidentalis) [1, 6, 7, 8, 9]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: No recommendation (Available evidence does not support claims that Larch helps to treat respiratory tract infections)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
* www.gradeworkinggroup.org
Echinacea Purpurea [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: no recommendation (Evidence has shown that Echinacea has no effect in the treatment or prevention of respiratory infections)
Grade of Evidence: moderate quality of evidence
* www.gradeworkinggroup.org
Summary References
1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009
7. http://www.dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/plants/lichen.html
8. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council; 1998.
9. Bown D. New Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. New York, NY: DK Publishing Inc; 2001.