Glucocorticoids for acute viral bronchiolitis in infants and young children

Bronchiolitis: Safely Doing Less Is the Next Big Thing

Bronchiolitis is a viral lower respiratory tract infection primarily affecting children younger than 2 years; a common cause of health care encounters, including hospitalization; and a considerable economic burden for health care systems in the United States and worldwide. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) most recently updated its bronchiolitis guideline in 2014 and reaffirmed supportive care as the mainstay of treatment. Despite these recommendations, there is still significant variability in care provided for these children, especially in bronchodilator usage, radiography, and high-flow nasal cannula. Since the 2014 AAP guideline, many pediatric hospitalists have undertaken quality initiatives to improve the adherence to published guidelines, yet a large gap remains between what is recommended and what is practiced. This article presents research on the efficacy of common interventions as well as an introduction to diagnostics and treatments potentially on the horizon. [Pediatr Ann. 2024;53(6):e223-e228.].

High-flow nasal cannula therapy for infants with bronchiolitis

BACKGROUND

Bronchiolitis is a common lower respiratory tract illness, usually of viral aetiology, affecting infants younger than 24 months of age and is the most common cause of hospitalisation of infants. It causes airway inflammation, mucus production and mucous plugging, resulting in airway obstruction. Effective pharmacotherapy is lacking and bronchiolitis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Conventional treatment consists of supportive therapy in the form of fluids, supplemental oxygen, and respiratory support. Traditionally, oxygen delivery is as a dry gas at 100% concentration via low-flow nasal prongs. However, the use of heated, humidified, high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy enables delivery of higher inspired gas flows of an air/oxygen blend, at 2 to 3 L/kg per minute up to 60 L/min in children. It can provide some level of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to improve ventilation in a minimally invasive manner. This may reduce the need for invasive respiratory support, thus potentially lowering costs, with clinical advantages and fewer adverse effects.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of HFNC therapy compared with conventional respiratory support in the treatment of infants with bronchiolitis.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, LILACS, and Web of Science (from June 2013 to December 2022). In addition, we consulted ongoing trial registers and experts in the field to identify ongoing studies, checked reference lists of relevant articles, and searched for conference abstracts. Date restrictions were imposed such that we only searched for studies published after the original version of this review.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs that assessed the effects of HFNC (delivering oxygen or oxygen/room air blend at flow rates greater than 4 L/minute) compared to conventional treatment in infants (< 24 months) with a clinical diagnosis of bronchiolitis.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently used a standard template to assess trials for inclusion and extract data on study characteristics, risk of bias elements, and outcomes. We contacted trial authors to request missing data. Outcome measures included the need for invasive respiratory support and time until discharge, clinical severity measures, oxygen saturation, duration of oxygen therapy, and adverse events.

MAIN RESULTS

In this update we included 15 new RCTs (2794 participants), bringing the total number of RCTs to 16 (2813 participants). Of the 16 studies, 11 compared high-flow to low-flow, and five compared high-flow to CPAP. These studies included infants less than 24 months of age as stated in our selection criteria. There were no significant differences in sex. We found that when comparing high-flow to low-flow oxygen therapy for infants with bronchiolitis there may be a reduction in the total length of hospital stay (mean difference (MD) -0.65 days, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.23 to -0.06; P < 0.00001, I2 = 89%; 7 studies, 1951 participants; low-certainty evidence). There may also be a reduction in the duration of oxygen therapy (MD -0.59 days, 95% CI -1 to -0.18; P < 0.00001, I2 = 86%; 7 studies, 2132 participants; low-certainty evidence). We also found that there was probably an improvement in respiratory rate at one and 24 hours, and heart rate at one, four to six, and 24 hours in those receiving high-flow oxygen therapy when compared to pre-intervention baselines. There was also probably a reduced risk of treatment escalation in those receiving high-flow when compared to low-flow oxygen therapy (risk ratio (RR) 0.55, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.79; P = 0.001, I2 = 43%; 8 studies, 2215 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). We found no difference in the incidence of adverse events (RR 1.2, 95% CI 0.38 to 3.74; P = 0.76, I2 = 26%; 4 studies, 1789 participants; low-certainty evidence) between the two groups. The lack of comparable outcomes in studies comparing high-flow and CPAP, as well as the small numbers of participants, limited our ability to perform meta-analysis on this group.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

High-flow nasal cannula therapy may have some benefits over low-flow oxygen for infants with bronchiolitis in terms of a greater improvement in respiratory and heart rates, as well as a modest reduction in the length of hospital stay and duration of oxygen therapy, with a reduced incidence of treatment escalation. There does not appear to be a difference in the number of adverse events. Further studies comparing high-flow nasal cannula therapy and CPAP are required to demonstrate the efficacy of one modality over the other. A standardised clinical definition of bronchiolitis, as well as the use of a validated clinical severity score, would allow for greater and more accurate comparison between studies.

Predictors of prolonged length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality in patients aged 1-24 months with acute bronchiolitis in Douala, Cameroon

INTRODUCTION

In Cameroon, acute bronchiolitis has been reported as the third commonest lower respiratory infection and is usually associated with low mortality. Nonetheless, respiratory distress associated with non-adherence to management guidelines can prolong hospital stay. This study aimed to explore predictors of prolonged hospital stay (≥ 5 days) and mortality in patients aged < 2years hospitalised for acute bronchiolitis.

METHODOLOGY

We conducted a retrospective cohort study at three paediatric units in the city of Douala, Cameroon. Factors associated with prolonged hospital stay and mortality were determined using multivariable linear regression model. Threshold for significance was set at p ≤ 0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 215 patients with bronchiolitis were included with mean age of 6.94 ± 5.71 months and M/F sex ratio of 1.39/1. Prolonged hospital stay was reported in 46.98% and mortality in 10.70% of patients hospitalised for bronchiolitis. Factors independently associated with prolonged hospital duration were oxygen administration [b = 0.36, OR = 2.35 (95% CI:1.16-4.74), p = 0.017], abnormal respiratory rate [b = 0.38, OR = 2.13 (1.00-4.55), p = 0.050] and patients presenting with cough [b = 0.33, OR = 2.35 (95% CI: 1.22-4.51), p = 0.011], and diarrhoea [b = 0.71, OR = 6.44 (95% CI: 1.6-25.86), p = 0.009] on admission. On the other hand, factors independently associated with mortality were age of the patient [b= -0.07, OR = 0.84 (95% CI: 0.74-0.97), p = 0.014] and oxygen administration [b = 1.08, OR = 9.64 (95% CI:1.16-79.85), p = 0.036] CONCLUSION: Acute bronchiolitis represented 1.24% of admissions and was common in the rainy season, in males and 3-11-month-old patients. Management guidelines were poorly respected. Prolonged length of stay was reported in half of the patients hospitalized and mortality was high, especially in younger patients and in patients receiving oxygen.

Expert consensus on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infections in children

BACKGROUND

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading global cause of respiratory infections and is responsible for about 3 million hospitalizations and more than 100,000 deaths annually in children younger than 5 years, representing a major global healthcare burden. There is a great unmet need for new agents and universal strategies to prevent RSV infections in early life. A multidisciplinary consensus development group comprising experts in epidemiology, infectious diseases, respiratory medicine, and methodology aims to develop the current consensus to address clinical issues of RSV infections in children.

DATA SOURCES

The evidence searches and reviews were conducted using electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, using variations in terms for "respiratory syncytial virus", "RSV", "lower respiratory tract infection", "bronchiolitis", "acute", "viral pneumonia", "neonatal", "infant" "children", and "pediatric".

RESULTS

Evidence-based recommendations regarding diagnosis, treatment, and prevention were proposed with a high degree of consensus. Although supportive care remains the cornerstone for the management of RSV infections, new monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, drug therapies, and viral surveillance techniques are being rolled out.

CONCLUSIONS

This consensus, based on international and national scientific evidence, reinforces the current recommendations and integrates the recent advances for optimal care and prevention of RSV infections. Further improvements in the management of RSV infections will require generating the highest quality of evidence through rigorously designed studies that possess little bias and sufficient capacity to identify clinically meaningful end points.

Immunoglobulin treatment for hospitalised infants and young children with respiratory syncytial virus infection

BACKGROUND

Millions of children are hospitalised due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection every year. Treatment is supportive, and current therapies (e.g. inhaled bronchodilators, epinephrine, nebulised hypertonic saline, and corticosteroids) are ineffective or have limited effect. Respiratory syncytial virus immunoglobulin may be used prophylactically to prevent hospital admission from RSV-related illness. It may be considered for the treatment of established severe RSV infection or for treatment in an immunocompromised host, although it is not licensed for this purpose. It is unclear whether immunoglobulins improve outcomes when used as a treatment for established RSV infection in infants and young children admitted to hospital. This is an update of a review first published in 2019.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of immunoglobulins for the treatment of RSV-proven lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in children aged up to three years, admitted to hospital.

SEARCH METHODS

For this 2022 update, we searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), which contains the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Specialised Register, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science (from inception to 2 December 2022) with no restrictions. We searched two trial registries for ongoing trials (to 2 December 2022) and checked the reference lists of reviews and included articles for additional studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials comparing immunoglobulins with placebo in hospitalised infants and children aged up to three years with laboratory-diagnosed RSV lower respiratory tract infection.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently selected trials, assessed risk of bias, and extracted data. We assessed evidence certainty using GRADE.

MAIN RESULTS

In total, we included eight trials involving 906 infants and children aged up to three years. We included one new trial in this update. The immunoglobulin preparations used in these trials included anti-RSV immunoglobulin and the monoclonal antibody preparations palivizumab and motavizumab. Five trials were conducted at single or multiple sites within a single high-income country (four in the USA, one in Qatar). Three trials included study sites in different countries. All three of these trials included study sites in one or more high-income countries (USA, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Qatar), with two trials also including a study site in a middle-income country (Panama). Five of the eight trials were "supported" or "sponsored" by the trial drug manufacturers. The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of immunoglobulins on mortality (risk ratio (RR) 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14 to 5.27; 4 studies, 309 participants). There were four deaths - two amongst 98 children receiving immunoglobulins, and two amongst 98 children receiving placebo. One additional death occurred in a fourth trial, however the study group of the child was not known and the data were not included in the analysis (very low-certainty evidence). The use of immunoglobulins in infants and children admitted to hospital with RSV proven LRTI probably results in little to no difference in the length of hospitalisation (mean difference (MD) -0.13 days, 95% CI -0.37 to 0.12; 6 studies, 737 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Immunoglobulins may result in little to no difference in the number of children who experience one or more adverse events of any severity or seriousness compared to placebo (RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.78; 5 studies, 340 participants; low-certainty evidence) or the number of children who experience one or more adverse events judged by study investigators to be serious in nature, compared to placebo (RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.79; 4 studies, 238 participants; low-certainty evidence). Certainty of evidence for secondary outcomes was low. This evidence suggests that use of immunoglobulins results in little to no difference in the need for, or duration of, mechanical ventilation and the need for, or duration of, supplemental oxygen. The use of immunoglobulins does not reduce the need for admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and when children are admitted to the ICU results in little to no difference in the duration of ICU stay.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We are very uncertain about the effect of immunoglobulins on mortality. We are moderately certain that use of immunoglobulins in hospitalised infants and children may result in little to no difference in the length of hospitalisation. Immunoglobulins may result in little to no difference in adverse events, the need for or duration of mechanical ventilation, supplemental oxygen, or admission to the intensive care unit, though we are less certain about this evidence and the true effect of immunoglobulins on these outcomes may differ markedly from the estimated effect observed in this review. All trials were conducted in high-income countries, and data from populations in which the rate of death from RSV infection is higher are lacking.

Bronchiolitis guidelines: what about the Italian situation in a primary care setting?

Acute viral bronchiolitis is the most common cause of hospitalization in children under 12 months of age. The variable clinical presentation and the potential for sudden deterioration of the clinical conditions require a close monitoring by healthcare professionals.In Italy, first access care for children is provided by primary care physicians (PCPs) who often must face to a heterogeneous disease presentation that, in some cases, make the management of patient with bronchiolitis challenging. Consequently, Italian studies report poor adherence to national and international guidelines processed to guide the clinicians in decision making in acute viral bronchiolitis.This paper aims to identify the potential factors contributing to the lack of adherence to the suggested guidelines derived by clear and evidence-based recommendations among primary care physicians operating in an outpatient setting, with a specific focus on the context of Italy. Particularly, we focus on the prescription of medications such as β2-agonists, systemic steroids, and antibiotics which are commonly prescribed by PCPs to address conditions that can mimic bronchiolitis.

Assessing the burden of bronchiolitis and lower respiratory tract infections in children ≤24 months of age in Italy, 2012-2019

Background

Bronchiolitis is the most common lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in children and is mainly caused by the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Bronchiolitis presents seasonally and lasts about five months, usually between October to March, with peaks of hospitalizations between December and February, in the Northern Hemisphere. The burden of bronchiolitis and RSV in primary care is not well understood.

Materials and methods

This retrospective analysis used data from Pedianet, a comprehensive paediatric primary care database of 161 family paediatricians in Italy. We evaluated the incidence rates (IR) of all-cause bronchiolitis (ICD9-CM codes 466.1, 466.11 or 466.19), all-cause LRTIs, RSV-bronchiolitis and RSV-LRTIs in children from 0 to 24 months of age, between January 2012 to December 2019. The role of prematurity (<37 weeks of gestational age) as a bronchiolitis risk factor was evaluated and expressed as odds ratio.

Results

Of the 108,960 children included in the study cohort, 7,956 episodes of bronchiolitis and 37,827 episodes of LRTIs were recorded for an IR of 47 and 221 × 1,000 person-years, respectively. IRs did not vary significantly throughout the eight years of RSV seasons considered, showing a seasonality usually lasting five months, between October and March, while the peak of incidence was between December and February. Bronchiolitis and LRTI IRs were higher during the RSV season, between October and March, regardless of the month of birth, with bronchiolitis IR being higher in children aged ≤12 months. Only 2.3% of bronchiolitis and LRTI were coded as RSV-related. Prematurity and comorbidity increased the risk of bronchiolitis; however, 92% of cases happened in children born at term, and 97% happened in children with no comorbidities or otherwise healthy.

Conclusions

Our results confirm that all children aged ≤24 months are at risk of bronchiolitis and LRTI during the RSV season, regardless of the month of birth, gestational age or underlying health conditions. The IRs of bronchiolitis and LRTI RSV-related are underestimated due to the poor outpatient epidemiological and virological surveillance. Strengthening the surveillance system at the paediatric outpatient level, as well as at the inpatient level, is needed to unveil the actual burden of RSV-bronchiolitis and RSV-LRTI, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of new preventive strategies for anti-RSV.

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting severe respiratory syncytial virus-associated bronchiolitis

BACKGROUND

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and is related to the severity of the disease. This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting severe bronchiolitis in infants and young children with RSV infection.

METHODS

A total of 325 children with RSV-associated bronchiolitis were enrolled, including 125 severe cases and 200 mild cases. A prediction model was built on 227 cases and validated on 98 cases, which were divided by random sampling in R software. Relevant clinical, laboratory and imaging data were collected. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine optimal predictors and to construct nomograms. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated by the area under the characteristic curve (AUC), calibration ability and decision curve analysis (DCA).

RESULTS

There were 137 (60.4%) mild and 90 (39.6%) severe RSV-associated bronchiolitis cases in the training group (n = 227) and 63 (64.3%) mild and 35 (35.7%) severe cases in the validation group (n = 98). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified 5 variables as significant predictive factors to construct the nomogram for predicting severe RSV-associated bronchiolitis, including preterm birth (OR = 3.80; 95% CI, 1.39-10.39; P = 0.009), weight at admission (OR = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63-0.91; P = 0.003), breathing rate (OR = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.05-1.18; P = 0.001), lymphocyte percentage (OR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-0.99; P = 0.001) and outpatient use of glucocorticoids (OR = 2.27; 95% CI, 1.05-4.9; P = 0.038). The AUC value of the nomogram was 0.784 (95% CI, 0.722-0.846) in the training set and 0.832 (95% CI, 0.741-0.923) in the validation set, which showed a good fit. The calibration plot and Hosmer‒Lemeshow test indicated that the predicted probability had good consistency with the actual probability both in the training group (P = 0.817) and validation group (P = 0.290). The DCA curve shows that the nomogram has good clinical value.

CONCLUSION

A nomogram for predicting severe RSV-associated bronchiolitis in the early clinical stage was established and validated, which can help physicians identify severe RSV-associated bronchiolitis and then choose reasonable treatment.

Chest physiotherapy for acute bronchiolitis in paediatric patients between 0 and 24 months old

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; I2 = 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.

Bronchiolitis 2021-2022 epidemic: multicentric analysis of the characteristics and treatment approach in 214 children from different areas in Italy

Bronchiolitis causes a remarkable number of hospitalizations; its epidemiology follows that of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), its main pathogen. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presenting features, treatment approach, and impact of medical therapy in four pediatric hospitals in Italy. Data on infants < 24 months of age hospitalized with bronchiolitis in the 2021-2022 season were collected. Between October 2021 and February 2022, 214 children were admitted. Median hospital stay was 5 days; none of the patients died. The distribution of the presenting features is largely comparable in the 33 (15.8%) RSV-negative versus the 176 (84.2%) RSV-positive children; also, no difference was observed in medical therapy provided: duration of oxygen therapy, administration of steroid, and duration of hospital stay. Systemic steroids, inhalation, or antibiotic therapy were given to 34.6%, 79.4%, and 49.1% of children respectively. Of the 214 patients with bronchiolitis, only 19 (8.8%) were admitted to ICU.   Conclusion: Our data suggest that, irrespective of treatments provided, RSV-positive and RSV-negative children had a similar clinical course. The results of our retrospective study further underline the need to improve adherence to existing guidelines on bronchiolitis treatment. What is Known: • Bronchiolitis is a common diseases with seasonal peak. The outcome is usually favorable but hospitalization and even ICU admission is not exceptional. What is New: • Children with RSV associated bronchiolitis do not have a different course and outcome. The analysis of the 2021-2022 cohort, following COVID pandemic peaking, did not show a different course and outcome. • Adherence to literature recommendation, i.e. to focus on oxygen and hydration therapy while avoiding unnecessary systemic therapy with steroid and antibiotics, should be improved.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus is the Most Common Causative Agent of Viral Bronchiolitis in Young Children: An Updated Review

BACKGROUND

Viral bronchiolitis is a common condition and a leading cause of hospitalization in young children.

OBJECTIVE

This article provides readers with an update on the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of viral bronchiolitis, primarily due to RSV.

METHODS

A PubMed search was conducted in December 2021 in Clinical Queries using the key terms "acute bronchiolitis" OR "respiratory syncytial virus infection". The search included clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, case control studies, cohort studies, meta-analyses, observational studies, clinical guidelines, case reports, case series, and reviews. The search was restricted to children and English literature. The information retrieved from the above search was used in the compilation of this article.

RESULTS

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common viral bronchiolitis in young children. Other viruses such as human rhinovirus and coronavirus could be etiological agents. Diagnosis is based on clinical manifestation. Viral testing is useful only for cohort and quarantine purposes. Cochrane evidence-based reviews have been performed on most treatment modalities for RSV and viral bronchiolitis. Treatment for viral bronchiolitis is mainly symptomatic support. Beta-agonists are frequently used despite the lack of evidence that they reduce hospital admissions or length of stay. Nebulized racemic epinephrine, hypertonic saline and corticosteroids are generally not effective. Passive immunoprophylaxis with a monoclonal antibody against RSV, when given intramuscularly and monthly during winter, is effective in preventing severe RSV bronchiolitis in high-risk children who are born prematurely and in children under 2 years with chronic lung disease or hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease. Vaccines for RSV bronchiolitis are being developed. Children with viral bronchiolitis in early life are at increased risk of developing asthma later in childhood.

CONCLUSION

Viral bronchiolitis is common. No current pharmacologic treatment or novel therapy has been proven to improve outcomes compared to supportive treatment. Viral bronchiolitis in early life predisposes asthma development later in childhood.

International variation in evidence-based emergency department management of bronchiolitis: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to evaluate the international variation in the use of evidence-based management (EBM) in bronchiolitis. We hypothesised that management consistent with full-EBM practices is associated with the research network of care, adjusted for patient-level characteristics. Secondary objectives were to determine the association between full-EBM and (1) hospitalisation and (2) emergency department (ED) revisits resulting in hospitalisation within 21 days.

DESIGN

A secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

38 paediatric EDs belonging to the Paediatric Emergency Research Network in Canada, USA, Australia/New Zealand UK/Ireland and Spain/Portugal.

PATIENTS

Otherwise healthy infants 2-11 months old diagnosed with bronchiolitis between 1 January 2013 and 31 December, 2013.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Primary outcome was management consistent with full-EBM, that is, no bronchodilators/corticosteroids/antibiotics, no chest radiography or laboratory testing. Secondary outcomes included hospitalisations during the index and subsequent ED visits.

RESULTS

1137/2356 (48.3%) infants received full-EBM (ranging from 13.2% in Spain/Portugal to 72.3% in UK/Ireland). Compared with the UK/Ireland, the adjusted ORs (aOR) of full-EBM receipt were lower in Spain/Portugal (aOR 0.08, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.29), Canada (aOR 0.13 (95% CI 0.06 to 0.31) and USA (aOR 0.16 (95% CI 0.07 to 0.35). EBM was less likely in infants with dehydration (aOR 0.49 (95% CI 0.33 to 0.71)), chest retractions (aOR 0.69 (95% CI 0.52 to 0.91)) and nasal flaring (aOR 0.69 (95% CI 0.52 to 0.92)). EBM was associated with reduced odds of hospitalisation at the index visit (aOR 0.77 (95% CI 0.60 to 0.98)) but not at revisits (aOR 1.17 (95% CI 0.74 to 1.85)).

CONCLUSIONS

Infants with bronchiolitis frequently do not receive full-EBM ED management, particularly those outside of the UK/Ireland. Furthermore, there is marked variation in full-EBM between paediatric emergency networks, and full-EBM delivery is associated with lower likelihood of hospitalisation. Given the global bronchiolitis burden, international ED-focused deimplementation of non-indicated interventions to enhance EBM is needed.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for acute bronchiolitis in children

BACKGROUND

Acute bronchiolitis is one of the most frequent causes of emergency department visits and hospitalisation in children up to three years of age. There is no specific treatment for bronchiolitis except for supportive treatment, which includes ensuring adequate hydration and oxygen supplementation. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) aims to widen the lungs' peripheral airways, enabling deflation of overdistended lungs in bronchiolitis. Increased airway pressure also prevents the collapse of poorly supported peripheral small airways during expiration. Observational studies report that CPAP is beneficial for children with acute bronchiolitis. This is an update of a review first published in 2015 and updated in 2019.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy and safety of CPAP compared to no CPAP or sham CPAP in infants and children up to three years of age with acute bronchiolitis.

SEARCH METHODS

We conducted searches of CENTRAL (2021, Issue 7), which includes the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group Specialised Register, MEDLINE (1946 to August 2021), Embase (1974 to August 2021), CINAHL (1981 to August 2021), and LILACS (1982 to August 2021) in August 2021. We also searched the US National Institutes of Health Ongoing Trials Register ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) for completed and ongoing trials on 26 October 2021.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We considered randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, cross-over RCTs, and cluster-RCTs evaluating the effect of CPAP in children with acute bronchiolitis.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed study eligibility, extracted data using a structured pro forma, analysed data, and performed meta-analyses. We used the Cochrane risk of bias tool to assess risk of bias in the included studies. We created a summary of the findings table employing GRADEpro GDT software.  MAIN RESULTS: We included three studies with a total of 122 children (62/60 in intervention/control arms) aged up to 12 months investigating nasal CPAP compared with supportive (or 'standard') therapy. We included one new trial (72 children) in the 2019 update that contributed data to the assessment of respiratory rate and the need for mechanical ventilation for this update. We did not identify any new trials for inclusion in the current update. The included studies were single-centre trials conducted in France, the UK, and India. Two studies were parallel-group RCTs, and one study was a cross-over RCT. The evidence provided by the included studies was of low certainty; we made an assessment of high risk of bias for blinding, incomplete outcome data, and selective reporting, and confidence intervals were wide. The effect of CPAP on the need for mechanical ventilation in children with acute bronchiolitis was uncertain due to risk of bias and imprecision around the effect estimate (risk difference -0.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.09 to 0.08; 3 RCTs, 122 children; low certainty evidence). None of the trials measured time to recovery. Limited, low certainty evidence indicated that CPAP decreased respiratory rate (decreased respiratory rate is better) (mean difference (MD) -3.81, 95% CI -5.78 to -1.84; 2 RCTs, 91 children; low certainty evidence). Only one trial measured change in arterial oxygen saturation (increased oxygen saturation is better), and the results were imprecise (MD -1.70%, 95% CI -3.76 to 0.36; 1 RCT, 19 children; low certainty evidence). The effect of CPAP on change in arterial partial carbon dioxide pressure (pCO₂) (decrease in pCO₂ is better) was imprecise (MD -2.62 mmHg, 95% CI -5.29 to 0.05; 2 RCTs, 50 children; low certainty evidence). Duration of hospital stay was similar in both the CPAP and supportive care groups (MD 0.07 days, 95% CI -0.36 to 0.50; 2 RCTs, 50 children; low certainty evidence). Two studies did not report pneumothorax, but pneumothorax did not occur in one study. No studies reported occurrences of deaths. Several outcomes (change in partial oxygen pressure, hospital admission rate (from the emergency department to hospital), duration of emergency department stay, and need for intensive care unit admission) were not reported in the included studies.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The use of CPAP did not reduce the need for mechanical ventilation in children with bronchiolitis, although the evidence was of low certainty. Limited, low certainty evidence suggests that breathing improved (a decreased respiratory rate) in children with bronchiolitis who received CPAP; this finding is unchanged from the 2015 review and 2019 update. Due to the limited available evidence, the effect of CPAP in children with acute bronchiolitis is uncertain for our other outcomes. Larger, adequately powered trials are needed to evaluate the effect of CPAP for children with acute bronchiolitis.

COVID-19 Lesson for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): Hygiene Works

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in infants worldwide. The global direct medical cost associated with RSV LRTIs reaches billions of dollars, with the highest burden in low–middle-income countries. Many efforts have been devoted to improving its prevention and management, including both non-pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical strategies, often with limited routine use in high-income countries due to high costs. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a dramatic decrease in RSV infections (up to 70–90%) has been reported around the globe, directly related to the implementation of containment measures (face masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing). Primary prevention has demonstrated the highest cost effectiveness ratio in reducing the burden of a respiratory infection such as RSV, never reached before. Thus, we emphasize the importance of non-pharmaceutical preventive hygiene measures that should be implemented and maintained even after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Parenteral versus enteral fluid therapy for children hospitalised with bronchiolitis

BACKGROUND

The main focus of treatment for children hospitalised with bronchiolitis is supportive, including oxygen supplementation, respiratory support, and fluid therapy. Up to half of infants hospitalised with bronchiolitis require non-oral fluid therapy due to dehydration or concerns related to the safety of oral feeding. The two main modalities used for non-oral fluid therapy are parenteral (intravenous (IV)) and enteral tube (nasogastric (NG) or orogastric (OG)). However, it is not known which mode is optimal in young children.

OBJECTIVES

To systematically review randomised clinical trials (RCTs) of the effectiveness and safety of parenteral and enteral tube fluid therapy for children under two years of age hospitalised with bronchiolitis.

SEARCH METHODS

We conducted a search of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform on 8 March 2021. We handsearched conference proceedings, conducted forward and backward searching of citation lists of relevant articles, and contacted experts.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included RCTs and quasi-RCTs of children aged up to two years admitted to hospital with a clinical diagnosis of bronchiolitis who required fluid therapy. The trials compared enteral tube fluid therapy with parenteral fluid therapy. The primary outcome was difference in length of hospital stay in hours after each non-oral fluid therapy modality. As actual time of discharge can be impacted by various factors, we also assessed theoretical length of stay (i.e. time when a patient is safe for discharge). We assessed several secondary outcomes.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane.  MAIN RESULTS: The searches yielded 615 unique records, of which four articles underwent full-text screening. We included two trials (810 children). Oakley 2013 was an open, non-blinded RCT of infants aged two to 12 months admitted to hospitals in Australia and New Zealand with a clinical diagnosis of bronchiolitis during three bronchiolitis seasons. The trial enrolled 759 children, of which 381 were randomised to NG tube therapy and 378 to IV therapy. Risk of bias was low in most domains. Kugelman 2013 was an open, non-blinded RCT that enrolled infants aged less than six months with a clinical diagnosis of "moderate bronchiolitis" at a single hospital in Israel. The study enrolled 51 infants, of which 31 were assigned to NG or OG tube therapy and 20 to IV therapy. Risk of bias was unclear in most domains. The application of enteral tube fluid therapy compared to IV fluid therapy probably makes little to no difference for actual length of hospital stay (mean difference (MD) 6.8 hours, 95% confidence interval (CI) -4.7 to 18.4 hours; 2 studies, 810 children, moderate certainty evidence). There was also little to no difference for theoretical length of stay (MD 4.4 hours, 95% CI -3.6 to 12.4 hours; 2 studies, 810 children, moderate certainty evidence). For the secondary outcomes, enteral tube fluid therapy probably makes little to no difference for time to resume full oral feeding compared to IV fluid therapy (MD 2.8 hours, 95% CI -3.6 to 9.2 hours; 2 studies, 810 children, moderate certainty evidence). The use of enteral tube for fluid therapy probably results in a large increase in the success of insertion of fluid modality at first attempt (risk ratio (RR) 1.52, 95% CI 1.36 to 1.69; 1 study, 617 children, moderate certainty evidence), and probably largely reduces the chances of change in fluid therapy modality (RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.71; 1 study, 759 children, moderate certainty evidence) compared to IV fluid.  Oakley 2013 reported 47 local complication events after discharge in the IV fluid group compared to 30 events in the NG tube group. They also evaluated parental satisfaction, which was high with both modalities. Enteral tube fluid therapy makes little to no difference to the duration of oxygen supplementation (MD 2.2 hours, 95% CI -5.0 to 9.5 hours; 2 studies, 810 children, moderate certainty evidence). Compared with the IV fluid therapy group, there was a 17% relative reduction in the number of intensive care unit admissions (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.47 to 1.46; 1 study, 759 children, moderate certainty evidence) and a 19% relative reduction in number of readmissions to hospital (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.33 to 2.04; 1 study, 678 children, moderate certainty evidence) in the enteral tube fluid therapy group. Adverse events were uncommon in both trials, with likely little to no differences between groups.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Based on two RCTs, enteral tube feeding likely results in little to no difference in length of hospital stay compared with the IV fluid group. However, enteral tube fluid therapy likely results in a large increase in the success of insertion of fluid modality at first attempt, and a large reduction in change in modality of fluid therapy. It also probably reduces local complications compared to the IV fluid group. Despite bronchiolitis being one of the most prevalent childhood conditions, we identified only two studies with under 1000 participants in total, which highlights the need for multicentre trials. Future studies should explore type of fluid administered, parent-reported outcomes and preferences, and the role of shared decision-making.

Risk of asthma in children diagnosed with bronchiolitis during infancy: protocol of a longitudinal cohort study linking emergency department-based clinical data to provincial health administrative databases

INTRODUCTION

The Canadian Bronchiolitis Epinephrine Steroid Trial (CanBEST) and the Bronchiolitis Severity Cohort (BSC) study enrolled infants with bronchiolitis during the first year of life. The CanBEST trial suggested that treatment of infants with a combined therapy of high-dose corticosteroids and nebulised epinephrine reduced the risk of admission to hospital. Our study aims to-(1) quantify the risk of developing asthma by age 5 and 10 years in children treated with high-dose corticosteroid and epinephrine for bronchiolitis during infancy, (2) identify risk factors associated with development of asthma in children with bronchiolitis during infancy, (3) develop asthma prediction models for children diagnosed with bronchiolitis during infancy.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We propose a longitudinal cohort study in which we will link data from the CanBEST and BSC study with routinely collected data from provincial health administrative databases. Our outcome is asthma incidence measured using a validated health administrative data algorithm. Primary exposure will be treatment with a combined therapy of high-dose corticosteroids and nebulised epinephrine for bronchiolitis. Covariates will include type of viral pathogen, disease severity, medication use, maternal, prenatal, postnatal and demographic factors and variables related to health service utilisation for acute lower respiratory tract infection. The risk associated with development of asthma in children treated with high-dose corticosteroid and epinephrine for bronchiolitis will be assessed using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models. Prediction models will be developed using multivariable logistic regression analysis and internally validated using a bootstrap approach.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Our study has been approved by the ethics board of all four participating sites of the CanBEST and BSC study. Finding of the study will be disseminated to the academic community and relevant stakeholders through conferences and peer-reviewed publications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ISRCTN56745572; Post-results.

Impact of bronchiolitis guidelines publication on primary care prescriptions in the Italian pediatric population

In Italy, two clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of bronchiolitis were published in October 2014 and December 2015. We evaluated prescriptions for bronchiolitis in children aged 0-24 months before (December 2012-December 2014), in between (December 2014-December 2015) and after (December 2015-December 2018) the guidelines publications. Data were retrieved from the Pedianet database; the measured outcomes were prescriptions rates of antibiotics, corticosteroids, β2-agonists, and other respiratory drugs. In 1011 out of 1581 episodes, patients received at least one treatment, with a total of 2003 prescriptions. The rate of treated bronchiolitis decreased from 66% to 57% (p < 0.001) after the publication of the second guideline; the highest reduction was in younger patients (from 57% to 44%, p = 0.013). Overall antibiotic prescriptions rate did not change, with 31.6% of the patients still receiving them. Our results confirm unnecessary non-evidence-based treatments in the primary care setting, with few changes after the guidelines publications.

Treatment for acute bronchiolitis before and after implementation of new national guidelines: a retrospective observational study from primary and secondary care in Oslo, Norway

BACKGROUND

Acute bronchiolitis treatment guidelines changed in Norway in 2013, no longer recommending the use of nebulised epinephrine. We aimed to assess whether these changes were successfully implemented in both primary and secondary care. Secondary aims were to compare the difference in management of acute bronchiolitis patients in primary and secondary care between 2009 and 2017.

METHODS

We retrospectively registered data on demographics, clinical features and management from electronic medical records of all infants (<12 months of age) diagnosed with acute bronchiolitis at a primary care centre (Oslo Accident and Emergency Outpatient Clinic) and a secondary care centre (Oslo University Hospital) in Norway in 2009, 2014 and 2017. All patient records were individually reviewed to ensure data accuracy.

RESULTS

We included 680 (36.3%) patients from primary care and 1195 (63.7%) from secondary care. There was a reduction in the use of nebulised epinephrine from 2009 to 2017 from 66.9% to 16.1% of cases (p<0.001) in primary care and from 59.1% to 4.9% (p<0.001) in secondary care. In parallel, there was an increase in the use of nebulised saline treatment, from 0.8% to 53.8% (p<0.001) in primary care and from 39.3% to 65.3% (p<0.001) in secondary care. The decrease in the use of nebulised racemic epinephrine occurred earlier in secondary care than in primary care; 13.4% vs 56.1%, respectively, in 2014.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of the new guidelines on the treatment of acute bronchiolitis was successfully implemented in both primary and secondary care.

Randomised placebo-controlled multicentre effectiveness trial of adjunct betamethasone therapy in hospitalised children with community-acquired pneumonia: a trial protocol for the KIDS-STEP trial

INTRODUCTION

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) causes around 10 hospitalisations per 1000 child-years, each associated with an average 13 non-routine days experienced and more than 4 parent workdays lost. In adults, steroid treatment shortens time to clinical stabilisation without an increase in complications in patients with CAP. However, despite promising data from observational studies, there is a lack of high-quality evidence for the use of steroids.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The KIDS-STEP trial is a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled superiority trial of betamethasone treatment on outcome of hospitalised children with CAP. Children are enrolled in paediatric emergency departments of hospitals across Switzerland and randomised to adjunct oral betamethasone for 2 days or matching placebo in addition to standard of care treatment. The co-primary outcomes are the proportion of children clinically stable 48 hours after randomisation and the proportion of children with CAP-related readmission within 28 days after randomisation. Secondary outcomes include length of hospital stay, time away from routine childcare and healthcare utilisation and total antibiotic prescriptions within 28 days from randomisation.Each of the co-primary outcomes will be analysed separately. We will test clinical stability rates using a proportion test; to test non-inferiority in readmission rates, we will construct 1-α % CI of the estimated difference and test if it contains the pre-defined margin of 7%. Success is conditional on both tests. A simulation-based sample size estimation determined that recruiting 700 patients will ensure a power of 80% for the study.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The trial protocol and materials were approved by ethics committees in Switzerland (lead: Ethikkommission Nordwest und Zentralschweiz) and the regulatory authority Swissmedic. Participants and caregivers provide informed consent prior to study procedures commencing. The trial results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and at national and international conferences. Key messages will also be disseminated via press and social media where appropriate.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03474991 and SNCTP000002864.

Comparison of clinically related factors and treatment approaches in patients with acute bronchiolitis

AIM

Acute bronchiolitis is a lower respiratory tract infection caused by viral agents in children aged under two years. Treatment includes hydration, oxygen, nebulized salbutamol, and intravenous steroids. This study aimed to determine the clinically related factors, the effect of viral agents on the clinical picture, and the efficacy of treatment methods in patients admitted with acute bronchiolitis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Patients aged under two years of age who were hospitalized with a diagnosis of moderate/severe acute bronchiolitis between March 2015 and March 2019 were included in the study. Demographic data, hospitalization time, body temperature, presence of congenital heart disease, history of atopy, acute-phase reactants, mean platelet volume values, and respiratory virus panel results were recorded. The treatment modalities, length of hospitalization, intensive care hospitalization, and high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) were recorded.

RESULTS

Four hundred twenty-two patients were included in the study. The duration of hospitalization was found to be significantly longer in patients aged under one year and in patients with acyanotic congenital heart disease. A single viral agent was detected in 69 (51.9%) patients. Rhinovirus was detected in 70 patients and RSV was detected in 37. The duration of hospitalization was found to be significantly shorter in patients who received only oxygen and/or intravenous fluid treatment compared with those who received nebulized salbutamol and/or intravenous steroids. In addition, and there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of HFNC and hospitalization in the intensive care unit.

CONCLUSION

Rhinovirus was the most common cause of acute bronchiolitis in our study. It was observed that congenital heart disease prolonged the length of hospitalization. In the treatment approaches, it was observed that hydration and oxygen therapy were sufficient treatment methods for the patients, in accordance with the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and giving nebulized therapy prolonged the hospitalization period due to the treatment discontinuation steps.

Magnesium sulphate for treating acute bronchiolitis in children up to two years of age

BACKGROUND

Acute bronchiolitis is a significant burden on children, their families and healthcare facilities. It mostly affects children younger than two years of age. Treatment involves adequate hydration, humidified oxygen supplementation, and nebulisation of medications, such as salbutamol, epinephrine, and hypertonic saline. The effectiveness of magnesium sulphate for acute bronchiolitis is unclear.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of magnesium sulphate in acute bronchiolitis in children up to two years of age.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, CINAHL, and two trials registries to 30 April 2020. We contacted trial authors to identify additional studies. We searched conference proceedings and reference lists of retrieved articles. Unpublished and published studies were eligible for inclusion.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs, comparing magnesium sulphate, alone or with another treatment, with placebo or another treatment, in children up to two years old with acute bronchiolitis. Primary outcomes were time to recovery, mortality, and adverse events. Secondary outcomes were duration of hospital stay, clinical severity score at 0 to 24 hours and 25 to 48 hours after treatment, pulmonary function test, hospital readmission within 30 days, duration of mechanical ventilation, and duration of intensive care unit stay.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. We used GRADE methods to assess the certainty of the evidence.

MAIN RESULTS

We included four RCTs (564 children). One study received funding from a hospital and one from a university; two studies did not report funding sources. Comparator interventions differed among all four trials. Studies were conducted in Qatar, Turkey, Iran, and India. We assessed two studies to be at an overall low risk of bias, and two to be at unclear risk of bias, overall. The certainty of the evidence for all outcomes and comparisons was very low except for one: hospital re-admission rate within 30 days of discharge for magnesium sulphate versus placebo. None of the studies measured time to recovery, duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of intensive care unit stay, or pulmonary function. There were no events of mortality or adverse effects for magnesium sulphate compared with placebo (1 RCT, 160 children). The effects of magnesium sulphate on clinical severity are uncertain (at 0 to 24 hours: mean difference (MD) on the Wang score 0.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.28 to 0.54; and at 25 to 48 hours: MD on the Wang score -0.42, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.00). Magnesium sulphate may increase hospital re-admission rate within 30 days of discharge (risk ratio (RR) 3.16, 95% CI 1.20 to 8.27; 158 children; low-certainty evidence). None of our primary outcomes were measured for magnesium sulphate compared with hypertonic saline (1 RCT, 220 children). Effects were uncertain on the duration of hospital stay in days (MD 0.00, 95% CI -0.28 to 0.28), and on clinical severity on the Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument (RDAI) score at 25 to 48 hours (MD 0.10, 95% CI -0.39 to 0.59). There were no events of mortality or adverse effects for magnesium sulphate, with or without salbutamol, compared with salbutamol (1 RCT, 57 children). Effects on the duration of hospital stay were uncertain (magnesium sulphate: 24 hours (95% CI 25.8 to 47.4), magnesium sulphate + salbutamol: 20 hours (95% CI 15.3 to 39.0), and salbutamol: 24 hours (95% CI 23.4 to 76.9)). None of our primary outcomes were measured for magnesium sulphate + epinephrine compared with no treatment or normal saline + epinephrine (1 RCT,120 children). Effects were uncertain for the duration of hospital stay in hours (MD -0.40, 95% CI -3.94 to 3.14), and for RDAI scores (0 to 24 hours: MD -0.20, 95% CI -1.06 to 0.66; and 25 to 48 hours: MD -0.90, 95% CI -1.75 to -0.05).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is insufficient evidence to establish the efficacy and safety of magnesium sulphate for treating children up to two years of age with acute bronchiolitis. No evidence was available for time to recovery, duration of mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit stay, or pulmonary function. There was no information about adverse events for some comparisons. Well-designed RCTs to assess the effects of magnesium sulphate for children with acute bronchiolitis are needed. Important outcomes, such as time to recovery and adverse events should be measured.

Trends in Use of Postdischarge Intravenous Antibiotic Therapy for Children

Children with complicated appendicitis, osteomyelitis, and complicated pneumonia have historically been treated with postdischarge intravenous antibiotics (PD-IV) using peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). Recent studies have shown no advantage and increased complications of PD-IV, compared with oral therapy, and the extent to which use of PD-IV has since changed for these conditions is not known. We used a national children's hospital database to evaluate trends in PD-IV during 2000-2018 for each of these three conditions. PD-IV decreased from 13% to 2% (risk ratio [RR], 0.15; 95% CI, 0.14-0.16) for complicated appendicitis, 61% to 22% (RR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.39-0.43) for osteomyelitis, and 29% to 19% (RR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.58-0.69) for complicated pneumonia. Despite these overall reductions, substantial variation in PD-IV use by hospital remains in 2018.

Associations Between Quality Measures and Outcomes for Children Hospitalized With Bronchiolitis

OBJECTIVES

To use adherence to the Pediatric Respiratory Illness Measurement System (PRIMES) indicators to evaluate the strength of associations for individual indicators with length of stay (LOS) and cost for bronchiolitis.

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled children with bronchiolitis at 5 children's hospitals between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2016. We examined associations between adherence to each individual PRIMES indicator for bronchiolitis and LOS and cost. Sixteen indicators were included, 9 "overuse" indicators for care that should not occur and 7 "underuse" indicators for care that should occur. We performed mixed effects linear regression to examine the association between adherence to each individual indicator and LOS (hours) and cost (dollars). All models controlled for patient demographics, patient complexity, and hospital.

RESULTS

We enrolled 699 participants. The mean age was 8 months; 56% were male, 38% were white, and 63% had public insurance. Three indicators were significantly associated with shorter LOS and lower cost. All 3 indicators were overuse indicators and related to laboratory testing: no blood cultures (adjusted mean difference in LOS: -24.3 hours; adjusted mean cost difference: -$731, P < .001), no complete blood cell counts (LOS: -17.8 hours; cost: -$399, P < .05), and no respiratory syncytial virus testing (LOS: -16.6 hours; cost: -$272, P < .05). Two underuse indicators were associated with higher cost: documentation of oral intake at discharge ($671, P < .01) and documentation of hospital follow-up ($538, P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

A subset of PRIMES quality indicators for bronchiolitis are strongly associated with improved outcomes and can serve as important measures for future quality improvement efforts.

A Durable Relationship: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis and Asthma past Their Golden Anniversary

Numerous preventive strategies against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are undergoing late stage evaluation in humans and, in addition to their intended benefit for acute illness, may impact long term consequences of infection in infants. Severe RSV infection has been repeatedly associated in the literature with long term complications, including impaired lung function, recurrent wheezing, and asthma. However, whether RSV lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) causally affects the odds for developing wheezing and/or asthma during childhood requires further study, and the biological mechanisms underlying this hypothetical progression from viral illness to chronic lung disease are poorly characterized. In this review, we summarize the literature exploring the association between RSV LRTI in infancy and subsequent recurrent wheezing and pediatric asthma.

Evaluating the Placebo Status of Nebulized Normal Saline in Patients With Acute Viral Bronchiolitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

IMPORTANCE

In therapeutic trials for acute viral bronchiolitis, consistent clinical improvement in groups that received nebulized normal saline (NS) as placebo raises the question of whether nebulized NS acts as a treatment rather than a placebo.

OBJECTIVE

To measure the short-term association of nebulized NS with physiologic measures of respiratory status in children with bronchiolitis by analyzing the changes in these measures between the use of nebulized NS and the use of other placebos and the changes before and after nebulized NS treatment.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE and Scopus were searched through March 2019, as were bibliographies of included studies and relevant systematic reviews, for randomized clinical trials evaluating nebulized therapies in bronchiolitis.

STUDY SELECTION

Randomized clinical trials comparing children 2 years or younger with bronchiolitis who were treated with nebulized NS were included. Studies enrolling a treatment group receiving an alternative placebo were included for comparison of NS with other placebos.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Data abstraction was performed per PRISMA guidelines. Fixed- and random-effects, variance-weighted meta-analytic models were used.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Pooled estimates of the association with respiratory scores, respiratory rates, and oxygen saturation within 60 minutes of treatment were generated for nebulized NS vs another placebo and for change before and after receiving nebulized NS.

RESULTS

A total of 29 studies including 1583 patients were included. Standardized mean differences in respiratory scores for nebulized NS vs other placebo (3 studies) favored nebulized NS by -0.9 points (95% CI, -1.2 to -0.6 points) at 60 minutes after treatment (P < .001). There were no differences in respiratory rate or oxygen saturation comparing nebulized NS with other placebo. The standardized mean difference in respiratory score (25 studies) after nebulized NS was -0.7 (95% CI, -0.7 to -0.6; I2 = 62%). The weighted mean difference in respiratory scores using a consistent scale (13 studies) after nebulized NS was -1.6 points (95% CI, -1.9 to -1.3 points; I2 = 72%). The weighted mean difference in respiratory rate (17 studies) after nebulized NS was -5.5 breaths per minute (95% CI, -6.3 to -4.6 breaths per minute; I2 = 24%). The weighted mean difference in oxygen saturation (23 studies) after nebulized NS was -0.4% (95% CI, -0.6% to -0.2%; I2 = 79%).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Nebulized NS may be an active treatment for acute viral bronchiolitis. Further evaluation should occur to establish whether it is a true placebo.

Bronchiolitis clinical practice guidelines implementation: surveillance study of hospitalized children in Jordan

INTRODUCTION

Bronchiolitis is a leading cause of hospital admissions and death in young children. Clinical practice guidelines (CPG) to diagnose and manage bronchiolitis have helped healthcare providers to avoid unnecessary investigations and interventions and to provide evidence-based treatment. Aim of this study is to determine the effect of implementing CPG for the diagnosis and management of bronchiolitis in a tertiary hospital in Jordan.

METHODS

The study compared children (age <24 months) diagnosed with bronchiolitis and who required admission to King Abdullah University Hospital in Irbid during the winter of 2017 (after CPG implementation) and age-matched children admitted in the winter of 2016. The proportion of patients receiving diagnostic tests and treatments in the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

Eighty-eight and 91 patients were diagnosed with bronchiolitis before and after CPG implementation, respectively. Respiratory syncytial virus rapid antigen detection testing decreased after CPG implementation [n=64 (72.7%) vs n=46 (50.5%), p=0.002]. However, there was no significant change in terms of other diagnostic tests. The use of nebulized salbutamol [n=44 (50%) vs n=29 (31.9%), p=0.01], hypertonic saline [n=39 (44.3%) vs n=8 (8.8%), p<0.001], and inappropriate antibiotics [n=31 (35.2%) vs n=15 (16.5%), p=0.004] decreased after CPG implementation. There was no difference in mean LOS (standard deviation; SD) between the pre- and post-CPG groups [3.5(2) vs 4 (3.4) days, p=0.19]. The mean cost of stay (SD) was 449.4 (329.1) US dollars for pre-CPG compared to 507.3 (286.1) US dollars for the post-CPG group (p=0.24).

CONCLUSION

We observed that the implementation of CPG for bronchiolitis diagnosis and management helped change physicians' behavior toward evidence-based practices. However, adherence to guidelines must be emphasized to improve practices in developing countries, focusing on the rational use of diagnostic testing, and avoiding use of unnecessary medications when managing children with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis.

Immunoglobulin treatment for hospitalised infants and young children with respiratory syncytial virus infection

BACKGROUND

Millions of children are hospitalised due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection every year. Treatment is supportive, and current therapies (e.g. inhaled bronchodilators, epinephrine, nebulised hypertonic saline, and corticosteroids) are ineffective or have limited effect. Respiratory syncytial virus immunoglobulin is sometimes used prophylactically to prevent hospital admission from RSV-related illness. It may be considered for the treatment of established severe RSV infection or for treatment in an immunocompromised host, although it is not licenced for this purpose. It is unclear whether immunoglobulins improve outcomes when used as a treatment for established RSV infection in infants and young children admitted to hospital.  OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of immunoglobulins for the treatment of RSV-proven lower respiratory tract infections in children aged up to three years, admitted to hospital.  SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), which contains the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group's Specialised Register, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science (from inception to 6 November 2018) with no restrictions. We searched two trial registries for ongoing trials (to 30 March 2018) and checked the reference lists of reviews and included articles for additional studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials comparing immunoglobulins with placebo in hospitalised infants and children aged up to three years with laboratory-diagnosed RSV lower respiratory tract infection.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently selected trials, assessed risk of bias, and extracted data. We assessed evidence quality using GRADE.

MAIN RESULTS

We included seven trials involving 486 infants and children aged up to three years. The immunoglobulin preparations used in these trials included anti-RSV immunoglobulin and the monoclonal antibody preparations palivizumab and motavizumab. We assessed the primary outcomes of mortality, length of hospital stay, and adverse events as providing low- or very low-certainty evidence due to risk of bias and imprecision. All trials were conducted at sites in high-income countries (USA, Chile, New Zealand, Australia), with two studies including a site in a middle-income country (Panama). Five of the seven studies were "supported" or "sponsored" by the trial drug manufacturers. We found no evidence of a difference between immunoglobulins and placebo for mortality (risk ratio (RR) 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14 to 5.27; 3 trials; 196 children; 4 deaths; 2 deaths amongst 98 children receiving immunoglobulins, and 2 deaths amongst 98 children receiving placebo. One additional death occurred in a fourth trial, however, the study group of the child was not known and the data were not included in the analysis; very low-certainty evidence), and length of hospitalisation (mean difference -0.70, 95% CI -1.83 to 0.42; 5 trials; 324 children; low-certainty evidence). There was no evidence of a difference between immunoglobulins and placebo in adverse events of any severity or seriousness (reported in five trials) or serious adverse events (four trials) (RR for any severity 1.18, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.78; 340 children; low-certainty evidence, and for serious adverse events 1.08, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.79; 238 children; low-certainty evidence).We found no evidence of a significant difference between immunoglobulins and placebo for any of our secondary outcomes. We identified one ongoing trial.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We found insufficient evidence of a difference between immunoglobulins and placebo for any review outcomes. We assessed the evidence for the effects of immunoglobulins when used as a treatment for RSV lower respiratory tract infection in hospitalised infants and young children as of low or very low certainty due to risk of bias and imprecision. We are uncertain of the effects of immunoglobulins on these outcomes, and the true effect may be substantially different from the effects reported in this review. All trials were conducted in high-income countries, and data from populations in which the rate of death from RSV infection is higher are lacking.

Corticosteroids as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of influenza

BACKGROUND

Specific treatments for influenza are limited to neuraminidase inhibitors and adamantanes. Corticosteroids show evidence of benefit in sepsis and related conditions, most likely due to their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Although commonly prescribed for severe influenza, there is uncertainty over their potential benefits or harms. This is an update of a review first published in 2016.

OBJECTIVES

To systematically assess the effectiveness and potential adverse effects of corticosteroids as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of influenza, taking into account differences in timing and doses of corticosteroids.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL (2018, Issue 9), which includes the Cochrane Acute Respiratory infections Group's Specialised Register, MEDLINE (1946 to October week 1, 2018), Embase (1980 to 3 October 2018), CINAHL (1981 to 3 October 2018), LILACS (1982 to 3 October 2018), Web of Science (1985 to 3 October 2018), abstracts from the last three years of major infectious disease and microbiology conferences, and references of included articles. We also searched the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the ISRCTN registry on 3 October 2018.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, and observational studies that compared corticosteroid treatment with no corticosteroid treatment for influenza or influenza-like illness. We did not restrict studies by language of publication, influenza subtypes, clinical setting, or age of participants. We selected eligible studies in two stages: sequential examination of title and abstract, followed by full text.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We pooled estimates of effect using a random-effects model, where appropriate. We assessed heterogeneity using the I² statistic and assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE framework.

MAIN RESULTS

This updated review includes 30 studies (one RCT with two arms and 29 observational studies) with a total of 99,224 participants. We included 19 studies in the original review (n = 3459), all of which were observational, with 13 studies included in the meta-analysis for mortality. We included 12 new studies in this update (one RCT and 11 observational studies), and excluded one study in the original review as it has been superceded by a more recent analysis. Twenty-one studies were included in the meta-analysis (9536 individuals), of which 15 studied people infected with 2009 influenza A H1N1 virus (H1N1pdm09). Data specific to mortality were of very low quality, based predominantly on observational studies, with inconsistent reporting of variables potentially associated with the outcomes of interest, differences between studies in the way in which they were conducted, and with the likelihood of potential confounding by indication. Reported doses of corticosteroids used were high, and indications for their use were not well reported. On meta-analysis, corticosteroid therapy was associated with increased mortality (odds ratio (OR) 3.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.31 to 6.60; I² = 68%; 15 studies). A similar increase in risk of mortality was seen in a stratified analysis of studies reporting adjusted estimates (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.54 to 3.24; I² = 0%; 5 studies). An association between corticosteroid therapy and increased mortality was also seen on pooled analysis of six studies which reported adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) (HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.02; I² = 69%). Increased odds of hospital-acquired infection related to corticosteroid therapy were found on pooled analysis of seven studies (pooled OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.51 to 4.95; I² = 90%); all were unadjusted estimates, and we graded the data as of very low certainty.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We found one RCT of adjunctive corticosteroid therapy for treating people with community-acquired pneumonia, but the number of people with laboratory-confirmed influenza in the treatment and placebo arms was too small to draw conclusions regarding the effect of corticosteroids in this group, and we did not include it in our meta-analyses of observational studies. The certainty of the available evidence from observational studies was very low, with confounding by indication a major potential concern. Although we found that adjunctive corticosteroid therapy is associated with increased mortality, this result should be interpreted with caution. In the context of clinical trials of adjunctive corticosteroid therapy in sepsis and pneumonia that report improved outcomes, including decreased mortality, more high-quality research is needed (both RCTs and observational studies that adjust for confounding by indication). The currently available evidence is insufficient to determine the effectiveness of corticosteroids for people with influenza.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for acute bronchiolitis in children

BACKGROUND

Acute bronchiolitis is one of the most frequent causes of emergency department visits and hospitalisation in children. There is no specific treatment for bronchiolitis except for supportive treatment, which includes ensuring adequate hydration and oxygen supplementation. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) aims to widen the lungs' peripheral airways, enabling deflation of overdistended lungs in bronchiolitis. Increased airway pressure also prevents the collapse of poorly supported peripheral small airways during expiration. Observational studies report that CPAP is beneficial for children with acute bronchiolitis. This is an update of a review first published in 2015.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy and safety of CPAP compared to no CPAP or sham CPAP in infants and children up to three years of age with acute bronchiolitis.

SEARCH METHODS

We conducted searches of CENTRAL (2017, Issue 12), which includes the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group's Specialised Register, MEDLINE (1946 to December, 2017), Embase (1974 to December 2017), CINAHL (1981 to December 2017), and LILACS (1982 to December 2017) in January 2018.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We considered randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, cross-over RCTs, and cluster-RCTs evaluating the effect of CPAP in children with acute bronchiolitis.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed study eligibility, extracted data using a structured pro forma, analysed data, and performed meta-analyses.

MAIN RESULTS

We included three studies with a total of 122 children (62/60 in intervention/control arms) aged up to 12 months that investigated nasal CPAP compared with supportive (or "standard") therapy. We included one new trial (72 children) that contributed data to the assessment of respiratory rate and need for mechanical ventilation for this update. The included studies were single-centre trials conducted in France, the UK, and India. Two studies were parallel-group RCTs and one was a cross-over RCT. The evidence provided by the included studies was low quality; we assessed high risk of bias for blinding, incomplete outcome data, and selective reporting, and confidence intervals were wide.The effect of CPAP on the need for mechanical ventilation in children with acute bronchiolitis was uncertain due to imprecision around the effect estimate (3 RCTs, 122 children; risk ratio (RR) 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14 to 3.36; low-quality evidence). None of the trials measured time to recovery. Limited, low-quality evidence indicated that CPAP decreased respiratory rate (2 RCTs, 91 children; mean difference (MD) -3.81, 95% CI -5.78 to -1.84). Only one trial measured change in arterial oxygen saturation, and the results were imprecise (19 children; MD -1.70%, 95% CI -3.76 to 0.36). The effect of CPAP on change in arterial partial carbon dioxide pressure (pCO₂) was imprecise (2 RCTs, 50 children; MD -2.62 mmHg, 95% CI -5.29 to 0.05; low-quality evidence). Duration of hospital stay was similar in both CPAP and supportive care groups (2 RCTs, 50 children; MD 0.07 days, 95% CI -0.36 to 0.50; low-quality evidence). Two studies did not report about pneumothorax, but pneumothorax did not occur in one study. No studies reported occurrences of deaths. Several outcomes (change in partial oxygen pressure, hospital admission rate (from emergency department to hospital), duration of emergency department stay, and need for intensive care unit admission) were not reported in the included studies.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Limited, low-quality evidence suggests that breathing improved (a decreased respiratory rate) in children with bronchiolitis who received CPAP; this finding is unchanged from the 2015 review. Further evidence for this outcome was provided by the inclusion of a low-quality study for the 2018 update. Due to the limited available evidence, the effect of CPAP in children with acute bronchiolitis is uncertain for other outcomes. Larger, adequately powered trials are needed to evaluate the effect of CPAP for children with acute bronchiolitis.

The impact of implementing a preprinted order form for inpatient management of otherwise healthy children admitted to a tertiary care centre with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis

Objective

To examine the effect on length of stay (LOS) of a preprinted order (PPO) set for children admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis, as well as on quality improvement measures, medical errors, and resource utilization.

Patients and methods

A retrospective chart review was performed of children admitted to the inpatient units at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) with a discharge diagnosis of bronchiolitis. Primary and secondary outcomes were compared between the pre-PPO (December 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015) and post-PPO (December 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016) periods. The primary outcome was LOS in days. Secondary outcomes included the proportion of quality improvement measures reached, the number of medical errors, and resource utilization.

Results

A total of 245 patients were included; 122 patients from the pre-PPO period (December 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015) and 123 patients from the post-PPO period (December 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016). Mean LOS was 3.1 days (2.7 to 3.5 days) and 2.8 days (2.4 to 3.2 days) in the pre- and post-PPO periods, respectively (multivariate analysis, P-value = 0.13). There were significant differences between the pre- and post-PPO periods in a number of quality improvement measures, although not in the number of medical errors. Significant reductions in oxygen, corticosteroid, antibiotic, and bronchodilator use were noted post-PPO implementation.

Conclusion

Although our bronchiolitis PPO did not significantly shorten LOS, it led to important improvements in quality improvement measures and in resource utilization efficiency.

Non-invasive ventilation for the management of children with bronchiolitis (NOVEMBR): a feasibility study and core outcome set development protocol

BACKGROUND

Bronchiolitis is an acute lower respiratory infection which predominantly affects young children. Treatment for bronchiolitis is limited to supportive therapy. Nasal oxygen therapy is part of routine care, and delivery now incorporates varying levels of non-invasive continuous positive airway pressure and/or high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy. Despite wide clinical use, there remains a lack of evidence on the comparative effectiveness and safety of these interventions. Furthermore, research in this field is hampered by the use of multiple outcome measures in current clinical trials.

METHODS/DESIGN

This mixed methods study includes a systematic review of outcome measures, telephone interviews with parents, focus group workshops and a Delphi survey with healthcare professionals and parents. These methods will be used to identify and prioritise outcomes for inclusion in a core outcome set and to explore issues pertinent to the design of a future randomised controlled trial comparing different modes of oxygen therapy for bronchiolitis. UK hospitals will also be contacted and asked to complete a survey to provide an overview of current practice to enable assessment of capability and capacity to run a future clinical trial.

DISCUSSION

This study will facilitate the design of a future clinical trial of non-invasive ventilation in children with bronchiolitis which is acceptable to important stakeholders. Furthermore, core outcome set development will improve standardisation, measurement and reporting of clinically important outcomes in bronchiolitis.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN75766048. Registered on 18 December 2017. This study was retrospectively registered in the ISRCTN Registry and on the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) Initiative database (15 September 2017).

Management of Recurrent Preschool, Doctor-Diagnosed Wheeze

Preschool wheeze occurs in half of the children before they reach 6 y of age and recurrence is also common. Recurrent preschool wheeze is classified as either typical or atypical. For typical recurrent preschool wheeze, the diagnoses are either asthma or bronchiolitis/bronchitis. Responsiveness to a properly administered bronchodilator confirms asthma, atopic or otherwise. All atypical preschool wheeze should be referred to pediatric respirologist for assessment. Lung function test by impulse oscillometry (IOS) before and after bronchodilator is helpful to confirm airway hyperresponsiveness, an essential feature of asthma. Assessment of atopy is important by either skin prick test or serum IgE level. Treatment of acute wheeze includes standard supportive care, bronchodilator for those diagnosed with asthma and hypertonic saline for those diagnosed as having acute bronchiolitis. Other treatments included nebulized adrenaline for acute bronchiolitis and systemic steroids for asthma. For those with significant respiratory distress, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or heated humidified high flow should be considered. Daily or intermittent inhaled corticosteroid or intermittent montelukast would reduce asthma exacerbation rate. A significant proportion of preschool wheeze persists till school age. An early diagnosis of asthma would be important to allow early optimal management.

The change in management of bronchiolitis in the intensive care unit between 2000 and 2015

This case-control study evaluated interventions for bronchiolitis in relation to time in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) during a 16-year surveillance period. Together, 105 infants aged < 12 months were treated for bronchiolitis in the PICU, and for them, we selected 210 controls admitted for bronchiolitis closest to cases. We collected data on treatments in the PICU, at the ward and in the emergency department for three periods: years 2000-2005, 2006-2010, and 2011-2015. Median hospital length of stay for PICU patients were 7 days (interquartile range 5-12), 5 days (4-8) and 8 days (4-12.5, p = 0.127), respectively. By time, the use of inhaled beta-agonist (68 vs. 44 vs. 38%, p = 0.019) and systemic corticosteroids (29 vs. 15 vs. 5%, p = 0.019) decreased, but that of racemic adrenaline (59 vs. 78 vs. 84%, p = 0.035) and hypertonic saline (0 vs. 0 vs. 54%, p < 0.001) inhalations increased in the PICU. Similar changes were seen at the ward. In the PICU, non-invasive ventilation therapies increased significantly, but intubation rates did not decline.Conclusion: Beta-agonists and systemic corticosteroids were used less by time in intensive care for infant bronchiolitis, but the use of hypertonic saline and racemic adrenaline increased, though their effectiveness has been questioned. What is Known: • Until now, studies have shown which treatments do not work in bronchiolitis, and so, there is no consensus how infants with bronchiolitis should be treated. In particular, there is no consensus on different interventions in intensive care for bronchiolitis. What is New: • During 2000-2015, treatments with inhaled beta-agonists and systemic corticosteroids decreased but treatments with racemic adrenaline and hypertonic saline inhalations increased in intensive care for bronchiolitis. Similar changes were seen at the ward. Though non-invasive ventilation therapies increased, the intubation rate did not decline.

Improving Evidence Based Bronchiolitis Care

Bronchiolitis is the number one cause of hospitalization in infants during the first year of life. Clinical guidelines recommend primarily supportive care and discourage use of pharmacotherapies and diagnostics. However, there continues to be widespread use of non-recommended therapies and variation in the use of therapeutic interventions among hospitals in the United States. Here we review evidence-based management of this common disease in order to optimize resource utilization, decrease healthcare costs, and decrease unnecessary hospitalization. Current evidence does not support the routine use of chest radiographs, viral testing or laboratory evaluation in children with bronchiolitis. In addition, routine administration of bronchodilators, including albuterol and nebulized epinephrine, corticosteroids and hypertonic saline are not recommended for infants and children with bronchiolitis. Intravenous or nasogastric hydration and nutritional support, supplemental oxygen, and respiratory support are recommended. Standardization of bronchiolitis care with evidence based institutional clinical pathways spanning ED to inpatient care can help optimize resource utilization while simultaneously improving care of bronchiolitis and reducing hospital length of stays and costs.

The treatment of acute bronchiolitis: past, present and future

Lower respiratory tract infections are a common cause of hospitalisation in infants. It is estimated that infants younger than 12 months with bronchiolitis account for 18% of all paediatric admission [1], representing a great burden to industrialised healthcare systems each winter.

Acute bronchiolitis treatment: little has changed from late 19th century to nowadays, promising strategies incominghttp://ow.ly/BmH230aWoXr

Implementing an Oxygen Supplementation and Monitoring Protocol on Inpatient Pediatric Bronchiolitis: An Exercise in Deimplementation

Aim

Our goal in this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of our oxygen (O₂) protocol to reduce length of stay (LOS) for children hospitalized with bronchiolitis.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, the outcomes of children ≤ 24 months old that were admitted with bronchiolitis and placed on the O₂ protocol were compared to historical controls. The primary outcome was hospital length of stay. Secondary outcomes were duration of O₂ supplementation, rates of pediatric intensive care unit transfer, and readmission.

Results

Groups were not significantly different in age, gender, and rates of respiratory distress score assessment. Significantly more severely ill patients were in the O₂ protocol group. There were no significant differences between control and O₂ protocol groups with regard to mean LOS, rates of pediatric intensive care unit transfer, or seven-day readmission rates. By multiple regression analysis, the use of the O₂ protocol was associated with a nearly 20% significant decrease in the length of hospitalization (p = 0.030).

Conclusion

Use of O₂ supplementation protocol increased LOS in the more ill patients with bronchiolitis but decreased overall LOS by having a profound effect on patients with mild bronchiolitis.

Marked variability observed in inpatient management of bronchiolitis in three Finnish hospitals

AIM

Infants hospitalised for bronchiolitis undergo examinations and treatments not supported by current research evidence and we investigated practice variations with regard to Finnish children under the age of two.

METHODS

This prospective, multicentre cohort study was conducted in paediatric units in three university hospitals in Finland from 2008 to 2010. Hospital medical records were reviewed to collect data on clinical course, testing and treatment. Data were analysed separately for children meeting our strict definition of bronchiolitis, aged under 12 months without a history of wheezing, and a loose definition, aged 12-23 months or with a history of wheezing.

RESULTS

The median age of the 408 children was 8.1 months. Clinical management varied between the three hospitals when stratified by strict and loose bronchiolitis subgroup definitions: complete blood counts ranged from 15-95% vs 16-94%, respectively, and the other measures were chest x-ray (16-91% vs 14-72%), intravenous fluids (2-47% vs 2-41%), use of nebulised epinephrine (10-84% vs 7-50%), use of salbutamol (18-21% vs 13-84%) and use of corticosteroids (6-23% vs 60-76%).

CONCLUSION

The clinical management of bronchiolitis varied considerably with regard to the three hospitals and the two definitions of bronchiolitis. A stronger commitment to evidence-based bronchiolitis guidelines is needed in Finland.

Less is More: Evidence-Based Management of Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis is a common cause of outpatient visits and hospitalization in children younger than age 2 years. Despite the frequency with which pediatricians manage this diagnosis, there is significant variability in care in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. This may be due in part to changing guidelines set forth by leading pediatric organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, as increasing evidence emerges that traditional therapies are not effective. This article reviews current evidence-based practices for diagnosis and treatment of bronchiolitis, and provides an overview of inpatient management. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(7):e252-e256.].

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety of Combined Epinephrine and Corticosteroid Therapy for Acute Bronchiolitis in Infants

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of combined epinephrine and corticosteroid therapy for acute bronchiolitis in infants.

Methods: Four electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and CENTRAL) were searched from their inception to February 28, 2017 for studies involving infants aged less than 24 months with bronchiolitis which assessed the use of epinephrine and corticosteroid combination therapy. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias Tool. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool the effect estimates. The primary outcomes were hospital admission rate and length of hospital stay.

Results: Of 1,489 citations identified, 5 randomized controlled trials involving 1,157 patients were included. All studies were of high quality and low risk of bias. Results of the meta-analysis showed no significant differences in the primary outcomes. Hospitalization rate was reduced by combinatorial therapy of epinephrine and corticosteroid in only one out of five studies, whereas pooled data indicated no benefit over epinephrine plus placebo. Clinical severity scores were significantly improved in all five RCTs when assessed individually, but no benefit was observed compared to epinephrine monotherapy when the data were pooled together. Pooled data showed that combination therapy was more effective at improving oxygen saturation level (mean difference: −0.70; 95% confidence interval: −1.17 to −0.22, p = 0.004). There was no difference in the risk of serious adverse events in infants treated with the combined epinephrine and corticosteroid therapy.

Conclusions: Combination treatment of epinephrine and dexamethasone was ineffective in reducing hospital admission and length of stay among infants with bronchiolitis.

The nursing assessment of infants with bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of morbidity and hospitalization in infants under the age of one year. Supportive treatments and regular assessment remain the mainstay of care for infants admitted to hospital. Nurses play an important role in the assessment of infants with bronchiolitis; however, this is not well described in the literature and consequently little is known about what strategies nurses employ in assessing infants with bronchiolitis. The aim of this study was to explore bronchiolitis assessment in the context of nursing practice. A naturalistic inquiry study was undertaken using think aloud and retrospective probing data collection methods. The results revealed that the information gathered by nurses in their assessment of infants with bronchiolitis was varied and the process of acquiring and evaluating this information was multifaceted and holistic in nature. A close partnership between the nurse and mother was identified, and the mother's expert knowledge and ability to identify subtle changes in the infant's clinical condition over time was essential to the assessment process. The assessment partnership with families provides nurses with the most comprehensive and holistic view of the infant's clinical condition and vital assessment information could be lost if this partnership does not occur.

Respiratory Scores as a Tool to Reduce Bronchodilator Use in Children Hospitalized With Acute Viral Bronchiolitis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Adoption of clinical respiratory scoring as a quality improvement (QI) tool in bronchiolitis has been temporally associated with decreased bronchodilator usage. We sought to determine whether documented use of a clinical respiratory score at the patient level was associated with a decrease in either the physician prescription of any dose of bronchodilator or the number of doses, if prescribed, in a multisite QI collaborative.

METHODS

We performed a secondary analysis of data from a QI collaborative involving 22 hospitals. The project enrolled patients aged 1 month to 2 years with a primary diagnosis of acute viral bronchiolitis and excluded those with prematurity, other significant comorbid diseases, and those needing intensive care. We assessed for an association between documentation of any respiratory score use during an episode of care, as well as the method in which scores were used, and physician prescribing of any bronchodilator and number of doses. Covariates considered were phase of the collaborative, hospital length of stay, steroid use, and presence of household smokers.

RESULTS

A total of 1876 subjects were included. There was no association between documentation of a respiratory score and the likelihood of physician prescribing of any bronchodilator. Score use was associated with fewer doses of bronchodilators if one was prescribed (P = .05), but this association disappeared with multivariable analysis (P = .73).

CONCLUSIONS

We found no clear association between clinical respiratory score use and physician prescribing of bronchodilators in a multicenter QI collaborative.

Hyponatremia and Hypotonic Intravenous Fluids Are Associated With Unfavorable Outcomes of Bronchiolitis Admissions

OBJECTIVES

Hyponatremia has been associated with unfavorable outcomes when present at admission in children with bronchiolitis. Delayed hyponatremia may be a modifiable risk factor for severe disease that is influenced by intravenous fluid (IVF) tonicity. We hypothesized that both hyponatremia and prescription of severely hypotonic IVF are associated with unfavorable outcomes, and that prescription of severely hypotonic IVF is associated with subsequent hyponatremia.

METHODS

Data were retrospectively extracted for 1557 pediatric inpatients with bronchiolitis. Any day on which a subject was prescribed IVF with sodium <70 mEq/L was termed "IVF <70." All other days on which IVF was prescribed were termed "IVF ≥70." Any blood sodium ≤135 mEq/L defined hyponatremia for that day. All other days with sodium available were labeled normonatremia. Variables were compared with Spearman correlation, Wilcoxon rank test, or χ². Significant results had P < .05.

RESULTS

Blood sodium levels correlated negatively with hospital length of stay (r = -0.477, P < .0001). On each of the first 4 days of hospitalization, significantly increased hospital length of stay was observed in patients with hyponatremia (n = 134 [25.7% of subjects with available sodium data]) versus patients with normonatremia (n = 387 [74.3%]), and in patients prescribed IVF <70 (n = 348 [46.3% of subjects prescribed IVF]) versus patients prescribed IVF ≥70 (n = 403 [53.7%]). Patients prescribed IVF <70 had increased rates of hyponatremia on the subsequent day versus patients prescribed IVF ≥70 (50.0% vs 26.9%, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

In children hospitalized with bronchiolitis, hyponatremia may be a modifiable risk factor for severe disease that may be mitigated by avoiding use of severely hypotonic IVF.

Management of acute respiratory diseases in the pediatric population: the role of oral corticosteroids

Respiratory diseases account for about 25% of all pediatric consultations, and 10% of these are for asthma. The other main pediatric respiratory diseases, in terms of incidence, are bronchiolitis, acute bronchitis and respiratory infections. Oral corticosteroids, in particular prednisolone, are often used to treat acute respiratory diseases given their anti-inflammatory effects. However, the efficacy of treatment with oral corticosteroids differs among the various types of pediatric respiratory diseases. Notably, also the adverse effects of corticosteroid treatment can differ depending on dosage, duration of treatment and type of corticosteroid administered — a case in point being growth retardation in long-course treatment. A large body of data has accumulated on this topic. In this article, we have reviewed the data and guidelines related to the role of oral corticosteroids in the treatment and management of pediatric bronchiolitis, wheezing, asthma and croup in the attempt to provide guidance for physicians. Also included is a section on the management of acute respiratory failure in children.

Pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, and Early Immune-Modulator Therapy

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is caused by infectious insults, such as pneumonia from various pathogens or related to other noninfectious events. Clinical and histopathologic characteristics are similar across severely affected patients, suggesting that a common mode of immune reaction may be involved in the immunopathogenesis of ARDS. There may be etiologic substances that have an affinity for respiratory cells and induce lung cell injury in cases of ARDS. These substances originate not only from pathogens, but also from injured host cells. At the molecular level, these substances have various sizes and biochemical characteristics, classifying them as protein substances and non-protein substances. Immune cells and immune proteins may recognize and act on these substances, including pathogenic proteins and peptides, depending upon the size and biochemical properties of the substances (this theory is known as the protein-homeostasis-system hypothesis). The severity or chronicity of ARDS depends on the amount of etiologic substances with corresponding immune reactions, the duration of the appearance of specific immune cells, or the repertoire of specific immune cells that control the substances. Therefore, treatment with early systemic immune modulators (corticosteroids and/or intravenous immunoglobulin) as soon as possible may reduce aberrant immune responses in the potential stage of ARDS.

Viral bronchiolitis

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.