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Lancet (London, England) Jan 2017Viral bronchiolitis is a common clinical syndrome affecting infants and young children. Concern about its associated morbidity and cost has led to a large body of... (Review)
Review
Viral bronchiolitis is a common clinical syndrome affecting infants and young children. Concern about its associated morbidity and cost has led to a large body of research that has been summarised in systematic reviews and integrated into clinical practice guidelines in several countries. The evidence and guideline recommendations consistently support a clinical diagnosis with the limited role for diagnostic testing for children presenting with the typical clinical syndrome of viral upper respiratory infection progressing to the lower respiratory tract. Management is largely supportive, focusing on maintaining oxygenation and hydration of the patient. Evidence suggests no benefit from bronchodilator or corticosteroid use in infants with a first episode of bronchiolitis. Evidence for other treatments such as hypertonic saline is evolving but not clearly defined yet. For infants with severe disease, the insufficient available data suggest a role for high-flow nasal cannula and continuous positive airway pressure use in a monitored setting to prevent respiratory failure.
Topics: Bronchiolitis, Viral; Bronchodilator Agents; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; Disease Management; Humans; Pediatrics; Saline Solution, Hypertonic
PubMed: 27549684
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30951-5 -
Italian Journal of Pediatrics Feb 2023Bronchiolitis is an acute respiratory illness that is the leading cause of hospitalization in young children. This document aims to update the consensus document... (Review)
Review
Bronchiolitis is an acute respiratory illness that is the leading cause of hospitalization in young children. This document aims to update the consensus document published in 2014 to provide guidance on the current best practices for managing bronchiolitis in infants. The document addresses care in both hospitals and primary care. The diagnosis of bronchiolitis is based on the clinical history and physical examination. The mainstays of management are largely supportive, consisting of fluid management and respiratory support. Evidence suggests no benefit with the use of salbutamol, glucocorticosteroids and antibiotics with potential risk of harm. Because of the lack of effective treatment, the reduction of morbidity must rely on preventive measures. De-implementation of non-evidence-based interventions is a major goal, and educational interventions for clinicians should be carried out to promote high-value care of infants with bronchiolitis. Well-prepared implementation strategies to standardize care and improve the quality of care are needed to promote adherence to guidelines and discourage non-evidence-based attitudes. In parallel, parents' education will help reduce patient pressure and contribute to inappropriate prescriptions. Infants with pre-existing risk factors (i.e., prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, congenital heart diseases, immunodeficiency, neuromuscular diseases, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome) present a significant risk of severe bronchiolitis and should be carefully assessed. This revised document, based on international and national scientific evidence, reinforces the current recommendations and integrates the recent advances for optimal care and prevention of acute bronchiolitis.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Child; Infant; Humans; Child, Preschool; Bronchiolitis; Hospitalization; Risk Factors; Albuterol; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
PubMed: 36765418
DOI: 10.1186/s13052-022-01392-6 -
Pediatrics in Review Dec 2014
Review
Topics: Bronchiolitis, Viral; Humans; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses; Viral Vaccines
PubMed: 25452661
DOI: 10.1542/pir.35-12-519 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Jun 2014Bronchiolitis is an acute, viral lower respiratory tract infection affecting infants and is sometimes treated with bronchodilators. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Bronchiolitis is an acute, viral lower respiratory tract infection affecting infants and is sometimes treated with bronchodilators.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effects of bronchodilators on clinical outcomes in infants (0 to 12 months) with acute bronchiolitis.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched CENTRAL 2013, Issue 12, MEDLINE (1966 to January Week 2, 2014) and EMBASE (1998 to January 2014).
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing bronchodilators (other than epinephrine) with placebo for bronchiolitis.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two authors assessed trial quality and extracted data. We obtained unpublished data from trial authors.
MAIN RESULTS
We included 30 trials (35 data sets) representing 1992 infants with bronchiolitis. In 11 inpatient and 10 outpatient studies, oxygen saturation did not improve with bronchodilators (mean difference (MD) -0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.92 to 0.06, n = 1242). Outpatient bronchodilator treatment did not reduce the rate of hospitalization (11.9% in bronchodilator group versus 15.9% in placebo group, odds ratio (OR) 0.75, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.21, n = 710). Inpatient bronchodilator treatment did not reduce the duration of hospitalization (MD 0.06, 95% CI -0.27 to 0.39, n = 349).Effect estimates for inpatients (MD -0.62, 95% CI -1.40 to 0.16) were slightly larger than for outpatients (MD -0.25, 95% CI -0.61 to 0.11) for oximetry. Oximetry outcomes showed significant heterogeneity (I(2) statistic = 81%). Including only studies with low risk of bias had little impact on the overall effect size of oximetry (MD -0.38, 95% CI -0.75 to 0.00) but results were close to statistical significance.In eight inpatient studies, there was no change in average clinical score (standardized MD (SMD) -0.14, 95% CI -0.41 to 0.12) with bronchodilators. In nine outpatient studies, the average clinical score decreased slightly with bronchodilators (SMD -0.42, 95% CI -0.79 to -0.06), a statistically significant finding of questionable clinical importance. The clinical score outcome showed significant heterogeneity (I(2) statistic = 73%). Including only studies with low risk of bias reduced the heterogeneity but had little impact on the overall effect size of average clinical score (SMD -0.22, 95% CI -0.41 to -0.03).Sub-analyses limited to nebulized albuterol or salbutamol among outpatients (nine studies) showed no effect on oxygen saturation (MD -0.19, 95% CI -0.59 to 0.21, n = 572), average clinical score (SMD -0.36, 95% CI -0.83 to 0.11, n = 532) or hospital admission after treatment (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.33, n = 404).Adverse effects included tachycardia, oxygen desaturation and tremors.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Bronchodilators such as albuterol or salbutamol do not improve oxygen saturation, do not reduce hospital admission after outpatient treatment, do not shorten the duration of hospitalization and do not reduce the time to resolution of illness at home. Given the adverse side effects and the expense associated with these treatments, bronchodilators are not effective in the routine management of bronchiolitis. This meta-analysis continues to be limited by the small sample sizes and the lack of standardized study design and validated outcomes across the studies. Future trials with large sample sizes, standardized methodology across clinical sites and consistent assessment methods are needed to answer completely the question of efficacy.
Topics: Acute Disease; Albuterol; Ambulatory Care; Bronchiolitis; Bronchodilator Agents; Hospitalization; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Oxygen; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 24937099
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001266.pub4 -
Allergy Jan 2019Current data indicate that the "bronchiolitis" diagnosis comprises more than one condition. Clinically, pathophysiologically, and even genetically three main clusters of... (Review)
Review
Current data indicate that the "bronchiolitis" diagnosis comprises more than one condition. Clinically, pathophysiologically, and even genetically three main clusters of patients can be identified among children suffering from severe bronchiolitis (or first wheezing episode): (a) respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-induced bronchiolitis, characterized by young age of the patient, mechanical obstruction of the airways due to mucus and cell debris, and increased risk of recurrent wheezing. For this illness, an effective prophylactic RSV-specific monoclonal antibody is available; (b) rhinovirus-induced wheezing, associated with atopic predisposition of the patient and high risk of subsequent asthma development, which may, however, be reversed with systemic corticosteroids in those with severe illness; and (c) wheeze due to other viruses, characteristically likely to be less frequent and severe. Clinically, it is important to distinguish between these partially overlapping patient groups as they are likely to respond to different treatments. It appears that the first episode of severe bronchiolitis in under 2-year-old children is a critical event and an important opportunity for designing secondary prevention strategies for asthma. As data have shown bronchiolitis cannot simply be diagnosed using a certain cutoff age, but instead, as we suggest, using the viral etiology as the differentiating factor.
Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Bronchiolitis; Child; Child, Preschool; Humans; Respiratory Sounds; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses; Rhinovirus
PubMed: 30276826
DOI: 10.1111/all.13624 -
Chest Jul 2022Organizing pneumonia (OP), characterized histopathologically by patchy filling of alveoli and bronchioles by loose plugs of connective tissue, may be seen in a variety... (Review)
Review
Organizing pneumonia (OP), characterized histopathologically by patchy filling of alveoli and bronchioles by loose plugs of connective tissue, may be seen in a variety of conditions. These include but are not limited to after an infection, drug reactions, radiation therapy, and collagen vascular diseases. When a specific cause is responsible for this entity, it is referred to as "secondary OP." When an extensive search fails to reveal a cause, it is referred to as "cryptogenic OP" (previously called "bronchiolitis obliterans with OP"), which is a clinical, radiologic, and pathologic entity classified as an interstitial lung disease. The clinical presentation of OP often mimics that of other disorders, such as infection and cancer, which can result in a delay in diagnosis and inappropriate management of the underlying disease. The radiographic presentation of OP is polymorphous but often has subpleural consolidations with air bronchograms or solitary or multiple nodules, which can wax and wane. Diagnosis of OP sometimes requires histopathologic confirmation and exclusion of other possible causes. Treatment usually requires a prolonged steroid course, and disease relapse is common. The aim of this article is to summarize the clinical, radiographic, and histologic presentations of this disease and to provide a practical diagnostic algorithmic approach incorporating clinical history and characteristic imaging patterns.
Topics: Bronchiolitis Obliterans; Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia; Humans; Lung; Lung Diseases, Interstitial; Pneumonia
PubMed: 35038455
DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2021.12.659 -
Archivos de Bronconeumologia May 2016Respiratory viral infections, particularly respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus, are the most importance risk factors for the onset of wheezing in infants... (Review)
Review
Respiratory viral infections, particularly respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus, are the most importance risk factors for the onset of wheezing in infants and small children. Bronchiolitis is the most common acute respiratory infection in children under 1year of age, and the most common cause of hospitalization in this age group. RSV accounts for approximately 70% of all these cases, followed by rhinovirus, adenovirus, metapneumovirus and bocavirus. The association between bronchiolitis caused by RSV and the development of recurrent wheezing and/or asthma was first described more than 40years ago, but it is still unclear whether bronchiolitis causes chronic respiratory symptoms, or if it is a marker for children with a genetic predisposition for developing asthma in the medium or long term. In any case, sufficient evidence is available to corroborate the existence of this association, which is particularly strong when the causative agent of bronchiolitis is rhinovirus. The pathogenic role of respiratory viruses as triggers for exacerbations in asthmatic patients has not been fully characterized. However, it is clear that respiratory viruses, and in particular rhinovirus, are the most common causes of exacerbation in children, and some type of respiratory virus has been identified in over 90% of children hospitalized for an episode of wheezing. Changes in the immune response to viral infections in genetically predisposed individuals are very likely to be the main factors involved in the association between viral infection and asthma.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age of Onset; Asthma; Bronchiolitis; Causality; Child; Child, Preschool; Comorbidity; Disease Progression; Female; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Male; Models, Biological; Prevalence; Recurrence; Respiratory Sounds; Respiratory Tract Infections; Virus Diseases; Young Adult
PubMed: 26766408
DOI: 10.1016/j.arbres.2015.11.008 -
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association... Feb 2022
Topics: Apnea; Bronchiolitis; COVID-19; Canada; Cough; Cyanosis; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; Physical Distancing; Pneumonia, Bacterial; Radiography; Risk Factors
PubMed: 35165133
DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.211810 -
Canadian Respiratory Journal 2020Bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) is a rare, chronic form of obstructive lung disease, often initiated with injury of the bronchiolar epithelium followed by an inflammatory... (Review)
Review
Bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) is a rare, chronic form of obstructive lung disease, often initiated with injury of the bronchiolar epithelium followed by an inflammatory response and progressive fibrosis of small airways resulting in nonuniform luminal obliteration or narrowing. The term BO comprises a group of diseases with different underlying etiologies, courses, and characteristics. Among the better recognized inciting stimuli leading to BO are airway pathogens such as adenovirus and mycoplasma, which, in a small percentage of infected children, will result in progressive fixed airflow obstruction, an entity referred to as postinfectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO). The present knowledge on BO in general is reasonably well developed, in part because of the relatively high incidence in patients who have undergone lung transplantation or bone marrow transplant recipients who have had graft-versus-host disease in the posttransplant period. The cellular and molecular pathways involved in PIBO, while assumed to be similar, have not been adequately elucidated. Since 2016, an international consortium of experts with an interest in PIBO assembles on a regular basis in Geisenheim, Germany, to discuss key areas in PIBO which include diagnostic workup, treatment strategies, and research fields.
Topics: Bronchiolitis Obliterans; Child; Diagnostic Techniques, Respiratory System; Humans; Patient Care Management; Respiratory Tract Infections
PubMed: 32076469
DOI: 10.1155/2020/5852827 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Apr 2023Acute bronchiolitis is the leading cause of medical emergencies during winter months in infants younger than 24 months old. Chest physiotherapy is sometimes used to... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Acute bronchiolitis is the leading cause of medical emergencies during winter months in infants younger than 24 months old. Chest physiotherapy is sometimes used to assist infants in the clearance of secretions in order to decrease ventilatory effort. This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2005 and updated in 2006, 2012, and 2016.
OBJECTIVES
To determine the efficacy of chest physiotherapy in infants younger than 24 months old with acute bronchiolitis. A secondary objective was to determine the efficacy of different techniques of chest physiotherapy (vibration and percussion, passive exhalation, or instrumental).
SEARCH METHODS
We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, LILACS, Web of Science, PEDro (October 2011 to 20 April 2022), and two trials registers (5 April 2022).
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in which chest physiotherapy was compared to control (conventional medical care with no physiotherapy intervention) or other respiratory physiotherapy techniques in infants younger than 24 months old with bronchiolitis.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane.
MAIN RESULTS
Our update of the searches dated 20 April 2022 identified five new RCTs with 430 participants. We included a total of 17 RCTs (1679 participants) comparing chest physiotherapy with no intervention or comparing different types of physiotherapy. Five trials (246 participants) assessed percussion and vibration techniques plus postural drainage (conventional chest physiotherapy), and 12 trials (1433 participants) assessed different passive flow-oriented expiratory techniques, of which three trials (628 participants) assessed forced expiratory techniques, and nine trials (805 participants) assessed slow expiratory techniques. In the slow expiratory subgroup, two trials (78 participants) compared the technique with instrumental physiotherapy techniques, and two recent trials (116 participants) combined slow expiratory techniques with rhinopharyngeal retrograde technique (RRT). One trial used RRT alone as the main component of the physiotherapy intervention. Clinical severity was mild in one trial, severe in four trials, moderate in six trials, and mild to moderate in five trials. One study did not report clinical severity. Two trials were performed on non-hospitalised participants. Overall risk of bias was high in six trials, unclear in five, and low in six trials. The analyses showed no effects of conventional techniques on change in bronchiolitis severity status, respiratory parameters, hours with oxygen supplementation, or length of hospital stay (5 trials, 246 participants). Regarding instrumental techniques (2 trials, 80 participants), one trial observed similar results in bronchiolitis severity status when comparing slow expiration to instrumental techniques (mean difference 0.10, 95% confidence interval (C) -0.17 to 0.37). Forced passive expiratory techniques failed to show an effect on bronchiolitis severity in time to recovery (2 trials, 509 participants; high-certainty evidence) and time to clinical stability (1 trial, 99 participants; high-certainty evidence) in infants with severe bronchiolitis. Important adverse effects were reported with the use of forced expiratory techniques. Regarding slow expiratory techniques, a mild to moderate improvement was observed in bronchiolitis severity score (standardised mean difference -0.43, 95% CI -0.73 to -0.13; I = 55%; 7 trials, 434 participants; low-certainty evidence). Also, in one trial an improvement in time to recovery was observed with the use of slow expiratory techniques. No benefit was observed in length of hospital stay, except for one trial which showed a one-day reduction. No effects were shown or reported for other clinical outcomes such as duration on oxygen supplementation, use of bronchodilators, or parents' impression of physiotherapy benefit.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
We found low-certainty evidence that passive slow expiratory technique may result in a mild to moderate improvement in bronchiolitis severity when compared to control. This evidence comes mostly from infants with moderately acute bronchiolitis treated in hospital. The evidence was limited with regard to infants with severe bronchiolitis and those with moderately severe bronchiolitis treated in ambulatory settings. We found high-certainty evidence that conventional techniques and forced expiratory techniques result in no difference in bronchiolitis severity or any other outcome. We found high-certainty evidence that forced expiratory techniques in infants with severe bronchiolitis do not improve their health status and can lead to severe adverse effects. Currently, the evidence regarding new physiotherapy techniques such as RRT or instrumental physiotherapy is scarce, and further trials are needed to determine their effects and potential for use in infants with moderate bronchiolitis, as well as the potential additional effect of RRT when combined with slow passive expiratory techniques. Finally, the effectiveness of combining chest physiotherapy with hypertonic saline should also be investigated.
Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Bronchiolitis; Bronchodilator Agents; Drainage, Postural; Oxygen; Physical Therapy Modalities; Respiratory Therapy
PubMed: 37010196
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004873.pub6