Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infection - Medications

Medications

Most respiratory syncytial viral (RSV) infections do not require prescription medicines. However, medicines may be recommended for certain people to help:

• Prevent RSV infection.
• Treat RSV infection and its complications.

Medication Choices

Medicines may be given to infants and children at high risk for complications of RSV to prevent the infection or reduce its severity. These medicines are usually given in monthly doses for the entire RSV season and include:

• RSV-IGIV (RespiGam). RSV-IGIV is made up of several proteins (antibodies) obtained from many human blood donors. It is given through a vein (intravenous, or IV).
• Monoclonal antibodies, such as palivizumab (Synagis). These are laboratory-produced antibodies that are given to stop RSV from reproducing.

Medicines to treat RSV infection include:

• Bronchodilators. These medicines are often used to reduce wheezing. Bronchodilators relax the muscular layer that surrounds the small breathing tubes (bronchioli), allowing them to expand and move air more easily.

Medicines to help treat complications of RSV infection include:

• Corticosteroids. These medicines may be used if a child has an RSV infection and also has asthma or an allergic-type breathing problem. However, corticosteroids are not used now as often as they were used in the past.
• Antibiotics. Antibiotics help the body destroy bacteria and may be used to help treat or prevent complications that can occur from RSV.

What To Think About

• High doses of vitamin A to treat symptoms of RSV have not proven effective and in fact may be harmful. For these reasons, this treatment is not recommended.
• Ribavirin (Virazole) is an antiviral medicine that is very rarely used to treat people with RSV infections who have a high risk of developing complications. Studies so far have provided conflicting evidence regarding its effectiveness. Your doctor will consider the particular circumstances of the person being treated before making a recommendation about ribavirin.¹
• Studies show that bronchodilators are effective only about a third of the time for babies. Many experts recommend that bronchodilators be tried initially for babies who are having difficulty breathing. If the baby is able to breathe easier, the medicine can be continued.⁷
• A vaccine for RSV is not currently available. Studies are ongoing.