Adenovirus: The Importance of Early Pediatric Diagnosis

Each year, millions of children are hospitalized for conditions that, in many cases, were misdiagnosed early in the pediatrician's office. Spending 10 or 15 minutes in the pediatrician's office often results in haphazard management of your child's health and can lead to expensive medical care later when health complications require more extensive treatment later.

As a parent, you may certainly understand that children most commonly suffer from upper respiratory infections when immune systems are jeopardized. With many viral and bacterial causes for infection, it is important to seek out medical attention from a pediatrician as soon as your child begins to exhibit symptoms that may be associated with an infection. But, seeking out this medical attention is only half of your battle. Upon arrival in your pediatrician's office, it is important to be assertive, requesting appropriate testing to confirm your child's diagnosis.

Adenovirus (ADV) is a common viral infection among children, often leading to complications ranging from bronchitis to pneumonia. When not treated promptly, the adenovirus many be linked to complications such as uncontrolled fever and conjunctivitis, also known as an inflammation of the eyes. As a parent, it is important to understand that a child, when infected with ADV, treatment is required as soon as possible as the virus may attribute to life threatening outcomes. Unfortunately, many pediatrician's miss diagnosing this virus properly when the child first presents into the office.

Because ADV has become such a concern among healthcare professionals, when the adenovirus becomes severe enough, your child may be hospitalized and started on IV antibiotic therapy. With early diagnosis and treatment, this hospitalization may have been avoided. In fact, research has shown that early diagnosis, even among children with a relatively minute chance of being infected with ADV, may result in a significant decrease in the number of children hospitalized each year.