Acute respiratory viral infections: focus on severity. A brief overview

A.L. Zaplatnikov¹, N.A. Geppe², B.M. Blokhin^3,4, E.G. Kondyurina⁵

¹Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Moscow,   Russian Federation

²I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow,   Russian Federation

³Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation

⁴Children's Medical Center, Moscow, Russian Federation

⁵Novosibirsk State Medical University, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

This concise examination of international and domestic research on the impact of respiratory viruses and age-specific characteristics of the immune response in young children on the severity of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections (ARVIs) is designed to highlight the importance of timely and effective therapy for these diseases. When selecting therapy for ARVIs in children, particularly those of a younger age, it is advisable to adopt a balanced approach that ensures adequate antiviral protection and rapid elimination of the virus, while also considering the necessity for effective and safe therapy to prevent an inadequate immune response. Furthermore, the review addresses the findings on a representative of the group of "Biological medicines produced using gradual processing technology" (State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation, XV ed.), namely the domestic antiviral drug Anaferon® for children in drops for oral administration. The drug has been demonstrated to have antiviral activity, to provide a significant effect on reducing the duration of fever, and the severity of the disease course, and to have the favorable safety profile. Additionally, it is administered in a convenient, physiological manner, allowing for its wide application in the treatment of acute respiratory infections of the upper respiratory tract in children from 1 month to nearly 4 years (3 years, 11 months, and 29 days inclusive).

Keywords: ARVI, acute respiratory viral infection, acute respiratory infection of the upper respiratory tract, common cold, severity of course, treatment.

For citation: Zaplatnikov A.L., Geppe N.A., Blokhin B.M., Kondyurina E.G. Acute respiratory viral infections: focus on severity. A brief overview. Russian Journal of Woman and Child Health. 2024;7(3):270–275 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2618-8430-2024-7-3-11.