Abstract
The association between bronchiolitis and recurrent wheezing remains controversial. In this prospective study, we assessed risk factors for recurrent wheezing during a 12-month follow-up in 313 infants younger than 12 months hospitalised for their first episode of bronchiolitis. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were obtained with a questionnaire and from medical files. A total 14 respiratory viruses were concurrently assayed in nasal washings. Parents were interviewed 12 months after hospitalization to check whether their infants experienced recurrent wheezing.
The rate of recurrent wheezing was higher in infants with bronchiolitis than in controls (52.7% vs 10.3%; p<0.001). Multivariate analysis identified as major independent risk factors for recurrent wheezing, rhinovirus infection (OR = 3.3; 95% CI 1.0‐11.1), followed by a positive family history for asthma (OR = 2.5; 95% CI 1.2‐4.9).
In conclusion, the virus most likely to be associated with recurrent wheezing at 12 months after initial bronchiolitis is rhinovirus, a viral agent that could predict infants prone to the development of recurrent wheezing.
- ERS
