Abstract
Introduction: Acute bronchiolitis is the most frequent respiratory infection in the beginning of life and has been associated with an increasing number of hospital admissions. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been considered as the most common cause of bronchiolitis. However, other viruses, such as rhinovirus (RV), have also been associated with increased clinical severity as well as with wheeze sequelae. Currently there is no consensus as to whether a specific virus detected during the first episode of hospitalized bronchiolitis could link to the incidence of recurrent wheeze. This is a cohort study of term infants that aims to add to the field.
Methods: This is a prospective cohort study including 131 otherwise healthy term infants presenting with the first episode of hospitalized bronchiolitis and 73 age-matched control patients. A panel of 8 respiratory viruses were detected in nasopharyngeal washes. All patients were followed up until the age of 3 years old by with 6 monthly telephone reviews. Measured outcomes were the incidence of wheeze attacks, the number of reported admissions with wheeze and total number of treatment days.
Results: Infants hospitalized with RV-induced bronchiolitis had a higher clinical severity score and exhibited statistically higher number of wheeze attacks, associated hospital admissions and associated treatment during the first 3 years of life (p<0.0001).
Conclusion: In a cohort of term infants requiring admission with bronchiolitis, the level of severity of bronchiolitis episode and the incidence and persistence of wheeze during the first years of life were most strongly associated with RV detection.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2019; 54: Suppl. 63, PA304.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2019