Review of the Safety, Efficacy and Tolerability of Palivizumab in the Prevention of Severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Disease

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a major global cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. Palivizumab, a monoclonal antibody that provides passive immunity against RSV, is currently licensed for prophylactic use in specific "high-risk" populations, including congenital heart disease, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and prematurity. Available research suggests palivizumab use in these high-risk populations can lead to a reduction in RSV-related hospitalization. However, palivizumab has not been demonstrated to reduce mortality, adverse events or length of hospital stay related to RSV. In this article, we review the management of RSV, indications for palivizumab prophylaxis, the safety, cost-effectiveness and efficacy of this preventative medication, and emerging therapeutics that could revolutionize future prevention of this significant pathogen.

Multi-mode absorption spectroscopy using a quantum cascade laser for simultaneous detection of NO and H2O

Detection of multiple transitions in NO and H2O using multi-mode absorption spectroscopy, MUMAS, with a quantum cascade laser, QCL, operating at 5.3 μm at scan rates up to 10 kHz is reported. The linewidth of longitudinal modes of the QCL is derived from pressure-dependent fits to experimental MUMAS data. Variations in the spectral structure of the broadband, multi-mode, output of the commercially available QCL employed are analysed to provide accurate fits of modelled MUMAS signatures to the experimental data.

Multi-species sensing using multi-mode absorption spectroscopy with mid-infrared interband cascade lasers

The application of an interband cascade laser, ICL, to multi-mode absorption spectroscopy, MUMAS, in the mid-infrared region is reported. Measurements of individual mode linewidths of the ICL, derived from the pressure dependence of lineshapes in MUMAS signatures of single, isolated, lines in the spectrum of HCl, were found to be in the range 10-80 MHz. Multi-line spectra of methane were recorded using spectrally limited bandwidths, of approximate width 27 cm^-1, defined by an interference filter, and consist of approximately 80 modes at spectral locations spanning the 100 cm^-1 bandwidth of the ICL output. Calibration of the methane pressures derived from MUMAS data using a capacitance manometer provided measurements with an uncertainty of 1.1 %. Multi-species sensing is demonstrated by the simultaneous detection of methane, acetylene and formaldehyde in a gas mixture. Individual partial pressures of the three gases are derived from best fits of model MUMAS signatures to the data with an experimental error of 10 %. Using an ICL, with an inter-mode interval of ~10 GHz, MUMAS spectra were recorded at pressures in the range 1-10 mbar, and, based on the data, a potential minimum detection limit of the order of 100 ppmv is estimated for MUMAS at atmospheric pressure using an inter-mode interval of 80 GHz.