Restrictive parenteral fluid therapy in infants and children presenting with acute severe viral pneumonia in the PICU: a single-center experience

Abstract

Introduction: Acute viral (RSV and non-RSV) pneumonia is one of the most common causes of lower respiratory tract infection in infants and children. Although only 2 to 3% of infants with bronchiolitis require hospitalized management based on published literature, in recent years we see more children requiring hospitalization in high-dependency units. Most of these children require intravenous fluid therapy and some form of oxygen supplementation. As there is no standardized evidence-based parenteral fluid therapy protocol specific for acute severe viral pneumonia available, we decided to retrospectively analyze the result of our restrictive fluid therapy protocol.