Children’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinic

As we care for children and babies through RSV season, MU Health Care has opened a Children’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinic to best meet our patients’ needs with the most appropriate level of care.

Triaging acuity is extremely important. Inpatient beds will be reserved for children who require a higher level of care. Patients who are stable and low risk should be monitored from home.

Clinic Details

Our Children’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinics are open 24/7 to provide supportive care with locations in Columbia and Jefferson City. This clinic is not intended to be an alternative to the Emergency Department; it is for low-acuity patients.

The clinic will be staffed by a respiratory therapist who will evaluate and scale the severity of symptoms. If the severity is high, the patient will be referred to the Emergency Department to be seen by a physician. If the patient does not need evaluation in the Emergency Department, a respiratory therapist can provide suction and children’s respiratory treatments.

How to refer:

Providers not employed by MU Health Care should use the order form available below and fax the order to 573-882-7862 for Columbia and 573-632-5978 for Jefferson City.

Providers employed by MU Health Care can submit the order “Respiratory (ROC) Eval and Treat” through PowerChart.

Patients can be seen as often as is needed for seven days following the placement of the order.

Please print and date the document below for patient families. It outlines where to go and what to expect for the Children’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinic for both of our locations. Note: This is a two-page document.

Details for Patient Families

Children’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinic Physician Order Form

Patients eligible for the Children’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinic:

  • Infants 0-36 months of age with a clinical diagnosis of RSV, viral bronchiolitis, viral pneumonia or viral lower children’s respiratory tract infection (LRTI)

Patients not eligible for the Children’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinic:

  • Children > 36 months of age
  • Children with the following chronic conditions:
    • Chronic lung diseases (including Asthma)
    • Cystic Fibrosis
    • Congenital Heart Disease
    • Neuromuscular Disease
    • Abnormal Airway Anatomy

RSV Facts

  • Transmission: RSV spreads through virus droplets expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also spread by touching contaminated surfaces or through direct contact with an infected person.
  • Contagious Period: Infected individuals are typically contagious for 3 to 8 days. However, those with weakened or underdeveloped immune systems can spread the virus for up to 4 weeks, even if asymptomatic.
  • Symptoms: Clinical symptoms of RSV are nonspecific and resemble other viral respiratory infections in children. Common symptoms include fever, cough, wheezing, and runny nose. Infants under 6 months may show irritability, lethargy, and poor feeding.
  • Severe Disease: Severe RSV disease is most common in young infants.
  • High-Risk Groups:
    • Premature infants
    • Infants 6 months and younger
    • Children with suppressed immune systems
    • Children with neuromuscular disorders or difficulty swallowing/clearing mucus