ACUTE BRONCHIOLITIS IN CHILDREN;

EPIDEMIOLOGIC AND CLINICAL FEATURES

Abstract

Objectives: To study the epidemiological and clinical features of acute bronchiolitis in children <2 years of age with mild to
moderate acute bronchiolitis. Study design: Descriptive, cross sectional study. Place and duration of study: Outpatient department of
Department of Pediatrics, independent university hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan, from October 2010 to March 2011. Methodology: 200
children diagnosed clinically with mild or moderate acute bronchiolitis were included in the study using convenient sampling technique.
Epidemiologic variables of interest included age, gestational age at birth, sex, weight, breastfed or not, parental or caregiver tobacco
smoking and socioeconomic status. Clinical variables of interest included cough, fever, breathlessness, wheeze, Rhonchi, feeding and
sleep pattern and severity of disease. Results: Predominant age group was between 2 to 12 months (76.5%) with mean age of 7.6±4.7.
95.5% of children were full term at birth. Male predominance with male to female ratio of 1.4:1 was noted. Mean weight was 7.2±1.8 kg.
Predominantly mixed feeding pattern (45%) was observed. Most of the parents/caregivers (70%) were nonsmokers. Majority of children
(81.5%) belonged to families with poor socioeconomic status. Results of clinical variables revealed Cough (100%), breathlessness
(69.5%), audible wheeze (59.5%) and rhonchi on chest auscultation (100%), disturbed sleep (80%) and decreased oral feeding (78%).
Majority of children (79.5%) were afebrile. Mild acute bronchiolitis (73.5%) was predominant as compared to moderate acute
bronchiolitis (26.5%). Conclusions: Acute bronchiolitis is more prevalent in children <1 year of age with male predominance and in
children from families with poor socioeconomic status. Mild form of acute bronchiolitis is more common. A relative lack of fever along
with cough, breathlessness, wheeze and/or rhonchi are major presenting clinical features of acute bronchiolitis.