Curriculum · Pediatric / Nutrition & Growth / EPI / Routine Child Examination
Acute bronchiolitis
What it is
Acute bronchiolitis is an acute bronchiolar inflammation of children under 2 years of age. Respiratory syncytial virus is the cause named first; mycoplasma and adenoviruses are given as other causes. The same disease matters a second time in preschool children, because recurrent wheezing is not called asthma until the alternative diagnoses are unlikely, and bronchiolitis is one of them, alongside foreign body aspiration, congenital airway abnormalities and cystic fibrosis.
Causes and risk
Respiratory syncytial virus is the usual organism, and mycoplasma and adenoviruses are the other causes given. The disease belongs to children under 2 years. In an infant of about 6 months who has had a flu like illness with fever and interrupted feeding, and who then becomes irritable, refuses oral feeds and whose work of breathing has increased, respiratory syncytial virus is the organism to think of. Bronchiolitis is caused by RSV in approximately 70% of cases, especially during the peak months of November to April, and almost all children will be infected with RSV by their second birthday; RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children younger than 1 year of age. The pathogens whose picture overlaps with it are rhinovirus, parainfluenzavirus, coronavirus, echovirus and coxsackievirus. Increased severity belongs to chronic lung disease, especially the ex-preemie, to the immunocompromised child, and to complex congenital heart disease.