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Severe bronchiolitis in Malaysian children
1Department of Paediatrics, University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Insights
Severe bronchiolitis in children often requires mechanical ventilation. Risk factors include young age, low birth weight, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, highlighting the need for early intervention in high-risk infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Intensive Care Medicine
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Severe bronchiolitis is a common pediatric respiratory illness.
- Mechanical ventilation is sometimes required for severe cases in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify risk factors associated with the need for mechanical ventilation in infants with severe bronchiolitis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 52 patients admitted to the PICU with severe bronchiolitis.
- Comparison of characteristics and clinical findings between ventilated and non-ventilated patients.
Main Results:
- 42% of patients required ventilation.
- Ventilation was associated with younger age, female sex, low birth weight, failure to thrive, underlying illness, higher respiratory distress assessment index (RDAI) scores, pneumonic infiltration, lower serum sodium, and positive respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) detection.
Conclusions:
- Several clinical and demographic factors predict the need for ventilation in severe bronchiolitis.
- Early identification of these risk factors may guide management and resource allocation in PICU settings.
Abstract:
Twenty-two (42 per cent) out of 52 patients admitted with severe bronchiolitis to our Paediatric Intensive Care Unit required ventilation. Risk factors associated with ventilation included a younger mean age, female sex, low birthweight, failure to thrive and the presence of an underlying illness. Ventilated patients were also more likely to have a higher respiratory distress assessment index (RDAI) score, pneumonic infiltration on chest X-ray, lower serum sodium and a positive respiratory syncytial virus isolation in the tracheal secretion.