Practical Resources for Nurses and Other Health Care Providers Involved in the Care of Children at Risk for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

Health care staff and families with young children are often unware of the ease of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) spread and potential clinical consequences of serious respiratory illness. Successful Canadian RSV prophylaxis (RSVP) programs (a) provide practical educational resources on RSV and respiratory disease that consider language and cultural barriers; (b) develop policies to identify all children eligible for RSVP with palivizumab; (c) emphasize compliance with RSVP, particularly during patient transfer between hospitals, community clinics, and remote outpost centers; and (d) establish collaborative networks to help ensure optimum RSVP compliance for all high-risk children. Herein, we share practical resources and key educational references for counseling of caregivers with infants or young children at risk for RSV infection, and health care providers participating in RSVP program development.