RSV or Common Cold in Children: Can a Misdiagnosis Trigger a Negligence Claim?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) asserts that almost every child has a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) when they are two years old. RSV triggers common colds and minor complications in most infants and children; however, it causes life-threatening symptoms in some others. If your child has been affected by RSV due to a misdiagnosis or medical negligence, you can contact an experienced and trusted lawyer like attorney Russell J. Berkowitz to pursue a claim.

Understanding RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a unique virus that triggers respiratory diseases of the lungs, throat, and nose. RSV is especially prevalent from late fall to early spring, but it is an all-year-round illness. 

Social distancing and other restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced RSV cases in 2020, but the number began to rise again in 2021. The RSV virus spreads from one individual to the other through the nose and eyes, like the common cold virus. Kids can get infected via direct person-to-person contact, unclean surfaces, objects, and unclean hands.

Children under these five categories have a higher risk of contracting RSV:

• Babies with peculiar heart defects
• Children who are four months old or younger at the beginning of the RSV season in the late fall
• Low birth weight or premature infants, especially those born before 29 weeks gestation
• Babies and children with severe lung illness of prematurity, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)
• Babies with weakened immune systems caused by medical treatments or diseases

Other propelling factors include a background of eczema and allergies, lack of breastfeeding, living in a crowded environment, being around kids in childcare settings, and exposure to secondhand smoke. 

RSV often leads to an upper respiratory tract virus like a cold. Sometimes, bronchiolitis (a lower respiratory tract infection that triggers an inflammation of the small airways in the lung) or pneumonia accompanies the cold. Respiratory syncytial virus symptoms usually last from five to seven days. However, more severe symptoms can lead to unimaginable consequences. For instance, RSV is the leading cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis in children under a year old.

Salient Differences between Pneumonia, Cold, and Bronchiolitis

Parents, caregivers, and other essential stakeholders should know the differences between the three. According to the AAP, common cold symptoms include fever, runny nose, a dry or wet-sounding cough, poor appetite, fussiness, sneezing, and congestion. 

Conversely, bronchiolitis symptoms include the symptoms of cold, flaring of the nostrils, the head bobbing with breathing, tugging between the ribs and lower neck, wheezing, belly breathing, fast breathing, and rhythmic grunting during breathing. Common signs of pneumonia include a mixture of bronchiolitis and cold symptoms like quick breathing, chills, wheezing sounds, poor appetite, cough, and fever. Other symptoms of pneumonia include belly pain, vomiting, inactivity, difficulty breathing, and chest pain. 

The AAP encourages parents to be attentive to their children’s chest wall retractions to see how hard they are breathing. Chest wall retractions happen when a child uses the muscles in their neck or between their ribs to breathe. It means the child is working harder for the in-flow of air. If you observe that your baby’s rib cage is forming an upside-down “V” shape beneath their neck or “caving in,” it means they are stressing themselves to breathe.

Call your pediatrician immediately if you observe chest wall retractions in your child. Also, do not keep things to yourself if you notice any of the following: grunting noises, stops or difficulty in breathing, short or fast breaths, chest pain, insomnia, ear drainage, any symptom of pneumonia or bronchiolitis, inactivity, or substantial decrease in alertness levels. Other symptoms include a fever that surpasses 100.4 when the baby is younger than 12 weeks old, worsening symptoms after a week, dehydration, and blue or gray color to skin, lips, or tongue.

Hospitals mostly admit children with RSV for two to three days, and only one-to-two percent of kids younger than six months need hospitalization.

How to Protect Your Child from RSV

Take the following steps if you do not want your child to contract a respiratory syncytial virus:

• Do not expose the child to secondhand smoke.
• Wash your hands with water, scrub, and soap for at least 20 seconds, and remind your children to practice good hygiene always.
• Ensure your entire family gets a flu shot yearly while you keep your children updated on their immunizations.
• Limit your kid’s exposure to crowds, anyone having a cold, or other kids.
• Feed your kid with breast milk because it has antibodies that help fight infections.
• Ensure your home is germ-free through regular disinfection of surfaces and items.
• Do not allow your child to go to school or childcare when ill.

Contact your doctor if your kid has moderate to severe pneumonia, bronchiolitis, or RSV. The pediatrician will diagnose the infection by asking different questions about the noticeable symptoms and physically examining the child. Some pediatricians will conduct a nasal swab test to determine if the disease is RSV or a different illness.

When Your Doctor Gets It Wrong

Doctors are human and can make mistakes while on the job. However, if they make a preventable mistake that causes harm to your child, you may file a medical malpractice claim against them. When a doctor, healthcare facility, or hospital deviates from their professional standards, leading to avoidable harm or death to a patient, it is considered medical malpractice. Misdiagnosis, anesthesia errors, surgical mistakes, and a delayed diagnosis can all trigger filing a negligence claim.