PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Valeria Belleudi
AU  - Federico Marchetti
AU  - Marco Finocchietti
AU  - Marina Davoli
AU  - Antonio Addis
TI  - Palivizumab reimbursement criteria and neonatal RSV hospitalisation: a regional retrospective review
AID  - 10.1136/bmjpo-2020-000985
DP  - 2021 Feb 01
TA  - BMJ Paediatrics Open
PG  - e000985
VI  - 5
IP  - 1
4099  - http://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000985.short
4100  - http://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000985.full
SO  - BMJ Paediatrics Open2021 Feb 01; 5
AB  - In Italy, reimbursement restrictions regarding palivizumab prophylaxis approved in 2016 have been revoked in 2017, restoring use in infants with Gestational Age (GA) >29 weeks. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) hospitalisations and prevalence of palivizumab use in infants aged <6 months during five seasons (2014–2019), were considered according to different GA. Although RSV hospitalisations rate showed no significant changes, during different seasons in all GA, lower prevalence of palivizumab use in 2016 (0.8% vs 0.3%), returned to a higher level following the revoke of restrictions. Changes in reimbursement criteria were not associated with neonatal RSV hospitalisations rate but with a significant impact on palivizumab use.