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Oral ribavirin is a highly effective treatment for lower respiratory tract infections due to respiratory syncytial virus or parainfluenza after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 56, pages 511–513 (2021)Cite this article

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Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), due to community acquired respiratory viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and parainfluenza (PIV), in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The severity of immunodeficiency is directly associated with a high probability for rapid progression to LTRI, respiratory failure needing mechanical ventilation and a fatal outcome [1].

Shah et al. [2] developed an immunodeficiency scoring index (ISI-RSV) with the aim to predict the risk of progression to LRTI and RSV-associated mortality. Based on the presence or absence of several parameters, patients are stratified into low, moderate, and high-risk group with a probability of progression to LTRI of 7%, 15%, 48%, and RSV-associated mortality of 0%, 3%, and 29%, respectively.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Second Department of Internal Medicine, ATTIKO General University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Maria Stamouli, Konstantinos Gkirkas, Spyros Chondropoulos, Angeliki Karagiannidi & Panagiotis Tsirigotis

  2. Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Evangelismos General Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Ioannis Tsonis, Stavros Gigantes, Ioannis Baltadakis & Dimitrios Karakasis

  3. Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Aghia Sophia Children Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Christina Economopoulou & Evgenios Goussetis

  4. Department of Clinical Microbiology, ATTIKO General University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Nikolaos Siafakas, Spyridon Pournaras & Josef Meletiadis

  5. Forth Department of Internal Medicine, ATTIKO General University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Anastasia Antoniadou

Authors
  1. Maria Stamouli
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  2. Ioannis Tsonis
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  3. Konstantinos Gkirkas
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  4. Christina Economopoulou
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  9. Angeliki Karagiannidi
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  10. Josef Meletiadis
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  11. Stavros Gigantes
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  14. Dimitrios Karakasis
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  15. Panagiotis Tsirigotis
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Correspondence to Panagiotis Tsirigotis.

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Stamouli, M., Tsonis, I., Gkirkas, K. et al. Oral ribavirin is a highly effective treatment for lower respiratory tract infections due to respiratory syncytial virus or parainfluenza after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 56, 511–513 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-020-01022-x

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