A clinical companion to the NICE guide on bronchiolitis

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) ( 2015 ) defines bronchiolitis as a lower respiratory tract infection affecting children under two years, peaking between three and six months. It affects about one in three infants in the first year of life, making it the most common respiratory infection in infants ( NICE 2015 , 2016 ). Of these infants, 2-3% will require admission to hospital ( NICE 2016 ). Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common organism detected in the nasopharyngeal aspirate in hospitalised infants, although other viruses such as rhinovirus, parainfluenza virus, influenza virus, adenovirus and human metapneumovirus are increasingly being recognised ( Paul et al 2016 ). As most infants with bronchiolitis are managed at home, the data available from the literature is not reflective of the true incidence and may represent only the 'tip of the iceberg'.