Study design (if review, criteria of inclusion for studies)
Systematic review
Participants
Clinical studies investigating the use of palivizumab in infants with CF aged less than 2 years.
Interventions
Palivizumab prophylaxis for RSV infection.
Outcome measures
The primary outcome was hospitalization rate due to RSV infection. Secondary outcomes included hospitalization for respiratory illness, length of hospital stay, safety (adverse effects), and cost-effectiveness of palivizumab prophylaxis.
Main results
The review included a total of ten studies (six cohort studies, two before-and-after studies, one cross-sectional study, and one randomized controlled trial) involving 3,891 patients with CF. Seven studies reported that palivizumab prophylaxis had a positive impact on the rate of RSV hospitalization. Five studies (n=3,404) reported that palivizumab prophylaxis significantly reduced the rate of hospitalization due to RSV infection compared to no prophylaxis. One study (n=5) demonstrated patients with CF who received palivizumab had no RSV hospitalization. Another study showed infants with CF receiving palivizumab (n=117) had a lower risk of hospitalization for RSV infection compared with premature infants (gestational age <35 completed weeks) who received palivizumab (n=4,880).
Authors' conclusions
Evidence from the literature suggests that palivizumab may have a potential role in reducing RSV hospitalization in children aged less than 2 years with CF. Given the lack of overall data, additional research is warranted to better understand the efficacy and safety of prophylactic palivizumab in infants with CF.