Duration of Illness in Infants With Bronchiolitis Evaluated in the Emergency Department
- 1 August 2010
- journal article
- Published by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in PEDIATRICS
- Vol. 126 (2), 285-290
- https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-2189
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To describe the duration of illness in infants with first-time bronchiolitis who present to an emergency department (ED) and assess the burden of the illness on caregivers and families. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of infants younger than 12 months who presented to a tertiary care children's hospital ED with a first episode of bronchiolitis. Subjects were excluded if they had a history of bronchodilator use or immunocompromise. Demographic and clinical data were collected in the ED. Outcomes data were collected by weekly telephone interviews for 4 weeks or until the subject was free of cough for 24 hours. RESULTS: Ninety-five infants were enrolled from November 2007 to March 2008. Median duration of symptoms was 15 days; 25% of the infants remained symptomatic after 21 days. Subjects with a history of eczema trended toward a longer median duration of symptoms when compared with those who did not (18 days [interquartile range (IQR): 15.5–24] and 15 days [IQR: 11–19], respectively; P = .055). Duration of symptoms did not significantly vary with regards to respiratory syncytial virus status or secondhand smoke exposure. Subjects missed a median of 2.5 days (IQR: 0.5–5.5) of day care, and caregivers missed a median of 2 days (IQR: 1–4) of work. Of these infants, 37.1% (95% confidence interval: 24.3–44.1) had a subsequent unscheduled medical visit. CONCLUSIONS: Infants seen in the ED for bronchiolitis have a prolonged disease course, with substantial burden to the family. Symptom duration may be influenced by a propensity toward atopy. Clinicians may use this information for counseling families.Keywords
This publication has 13 references indexed in Scilit:
- Evidence of a Causal Role of Winter Virus Infection during Infancy in Early Childhood AsthmaAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2008
- Prospective Multicenter Study of the Viral Etiology of Bronchiolitis in the Emergency DepartmentAcademic Emergency Medicine, 2008
- A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial of Dexamethasone for BronchiolitisNew England Journal of Medicine, 2007
- Immunopathogenesis of Respiratory Syncytial Virus BronchiolitisThe Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2007
- At-home Recovery Following Hospitalization for BronchiolitisAcademic Pediatrics, 2006
- Hospitalization for RSV bronchiolitis before 12 months of age and subsequent asthma, atopy and wheeze: A longitudinal birth cohort studyPediatric Allergy and Immunology, 2005
- Reducing the Impact of Viral Respiratory Infections in ChildrenPediatric Clinics of North America, 2005
- Severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis in Infancy and Asthma and Allergy at Age 13American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2005
- Driscoll Children???s Hospital Respiratory Syncytial Virus DatabaseThe Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 2004
- A Randomized Trial of Montelukast in Respiratory Syncytial Virus PostbronchiolitisAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2003