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[Correlation between fever and the clinical severity of acute bronchiolitis]

Angela Butnariu1, Ana-Maria Chindriş, Diana Giurgiu

  • 1ClinicaPediatrie III, UMF Iuliu Haţieganu, Cluj-Napoca.

Pneumologia (Bucharest, Romania)
|March 16, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Fever in infants with acute bronchiolitis indicates a more severe illness and longer hospital stays. This study highlights fever as a significant indicator of disease severity in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Respiratory Medicine

Background:

  • The link between fever and acute bronchiolitis severity in infants is under-researched.
  • Existing studies on fever and infant bronchiolitis severity lack consistent findings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the clinical significance of fever in infants under one year old diagnosed with acute bronchiolitis.
  • To assess fever as a predictor of severity in acute infant bronchiolitis.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 83 infants (0-1 year) hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis was studied.
  • Patients were divided into febrile and afebrile groups for comparative analysis.
  • Clinical severity was assessed using a score evaluating respiratory effort, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate.

Main Results:

  • Febrile infants experienced longer hospitalizations (mean 5.8 days) than afebrile infants (mean 4.4 days; p=0.003).
  • The clinical severity score was significantly higher in infants with fever (p=0.03), indicating a more severe clinical presentation.

Conclusions:

  • Fever in infants with acute bronchiolitis is associated with increased clinical severity.
  • Fever correlates with a prolonged disease course in young children diagnosed with acute bronchiolitis.
Abstract

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