Pediatric clinical and epidemiological profile during the 2025 respiratory virus seasonality in Recife, Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the clinical and epidemiological profile of children and adolescents admitted with respiratory illness at a teaching hospital during the seasonality of respiratory viruses in Pernambuco (Brazil). Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study, conducted with children under 14 years of age hospitalized for respiratory illnesses between March and July 2025, in a tertiary pediatric referral hospital. Sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory variables were collected, including signs and symptoms at admission, length of stay, antibiotic use, need for intensive care unit (ICU) and results of tests for respiratory viruses. Results: Most patients (70.4%) were under one year of age, and the median length of hospital stay was five days. The most frequent cause of hospitalization was acute viral bronchiolitis (61.7%), especially among infants. The main symptoms at admission were respiratory distress (83.0%), cough (77.0%), dyspnea (60.9%), and rhinorrhea (48.3%). Among the 89 patients tested for respiratory viruses using RT-PCR, 67 (75.3%) were positive, with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) predominating in 57 (64.2%). Vaccination status was available in 43.9% of medical records, and only 71.3% were up to date with age-appropriate vaccinations. At admission, 60.9% met the criteria for severe acute respiratory syndrome. Conclusion: A predominance of infants and acute viral bronchiolitis, mainly due to respiratory syncytial virus, was observed as the main cause of hospitalization, with a high proportion of cases classified as severe acute respiratory syndrome, with no differences in severity between age groups.