[Update on the management of acute viral bronchiolitis: proposed guidelines of Grand Ouest University Hospitals]

Nirsevimab and Hospitalization for RSV Bronchiolitis

BACKGROUND

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of bronchiolitis, resulting in 3 million hospitalizations each year worldwide. Nirsevimab is a monoclonal antibody against RSV that has an extended half-life. Its postlicensure real-world effectiveness against RSV-associated bronchiolitis is unclear.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective, multicenter, matched case-control study to analyze the effectiveness of nirsevimab therapy against hospitalization for RSV-associated bronchiolitis in infants younger than 12 months of age. Case patients were infants younger than 12 months of age who were hospitalized for RSV-associated bronchiolitis between October 15 and December 10, 2023. Control patients were infants with clinical visits to the same hospitals for conditions unrelated to RSV infection. Case patients were matched to control patients in a 2:1 ratio on the basis of age, date of hospital visit, and study center. We calculated the effectiveness of nirsevimab therapy against hospitalization for RSV-associated bronchiolitis (primary outcome) by means of a multivariate conditional logistic-regression model with adjustment for confounders. Several sensitivity analyses were performed.

RESULTS

The study included 1035 infants, of whom 690 were case patients (median age, 3.1 months; interquartile range, 1.8 to 5.3) and 345 were matched control patients (median age, 3.4 months; interquartile range, 1.6 to 5.6). Overall, 60 case patients (8.7%) and 97 control patients (28.1%) had received nirsevimab previously. The estimated adjusted effectiveness of nirsevimab therapy against hospitalization for RSV-associated bronchiolitis was 83.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 73.4 to 89.2). Sensitivity analyses gave results similar to those of the primary analysis. The effectiveness of nirsevimab therapy against RSV-associated bronchiolitis resulting in critical care was 69.6% (95% CI, 42.9 to 83.8) (27 of 193 case patients [14.0%] vs. 47 of 146 matched control patients [32.2%]) and against RSV-associated bronchiolitis resulting in ventilatory support was 67.2% (95% CI, 38.6 to 82.5) (27 of 189 case patients [14.3%] vs. 46 of 151 matched control patients [30.5%]).

CONCLUSIONS

In a real-world setting, nirsevimab therapy was effective in reducing the risk of hospitalized RSV-associated bronchiolitis. (Funded by the National Agency for AIDS Research-Emerging Infectious Disease and others; ENVIE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT06030505.).

Nasal CPAP in the Pediatric Ward to Reduce PICU Admissions for Severe Bronchiolitis?

In treating acute bronchiolitis in infants, the decision to use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) often involves infant referral from the pediatric ward to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). We present our experience of CPAP use in a general pediatric ward, aiming to reduce the pressure on the PICU in recent outbreaks of bronchiolitis. Clinical data of patients less than 12 months of age and admitted for bronchiolitis from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2023 were retrospectively collected. Of 82 infants admitted for bronchiolitis, 16 (19%) were treated with nasal CPAP (nCPAP group); of the remaining 66, 21 (26%) were treated with a low-flow nasal cannula (LFNC) only, 1 (1%) was also treated a with high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), 12 (15%) were treated with an HFNC only, and 41 (50%) were treated without oxygen support (no-nCPAP group). Overall, coinfection with RSV and SARS-CoV-2 was observed in three patients and SARS-CoV-2 infection was observed in two patients. None of them required any type of oxygen support. Only 3/16 (19%) infants in the nCPAP group were referred to the PICU due to worsening clinical conditions despite nCPAP support. In our experience of treating epidemic bronchiolitis, nCPAP can be safely managed in a general pediatric ward, thus reducing the burden of admissions to the PICU. Training and regular updating of the pediatric staff, careful monitoring of the patient, and close cooperation with the PICU were instrumental for our team.

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.

UPDATE - 2022 Italian guidelines on the management of bronchiolitis in infants

Bronchiolitis is an acute respiratory illness that is the leading cause of hospitalization in young children. This document aims to update the consensus document published in 2014 to provide guidance on the current best practices for managing bronchiolitis in infants. The document addresses care in both hospitals and primary care. The diagnosis of bronchiolitis is based on the clinical history and physical examination. The mainstays of management are largely supportive, consisting of fluid management and respiratory support. Evidence suggests no benefit with the use of salbutamol, glucocorticosteroids and antibiotics with potential risk of harm. Because of the lack of effective treatment, the reduction of morbidity must rely on preventive measures. De-implementation of non-evidence-based interventions is a major goal, and educational interventions for clinicians should be carried out to promote high-value care of infants with bronchiolitis. Well-prepared implementation strategies to standardize care and improve the quality of care are needed to promote adherence to guidelines and discourage non-evidence-based attitudes. In parallel, parents' education will help reduce patient pressure and contribute to inappropriate prescriptions. Infants with pre-existing risk factors (i.e., prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, congenital heart diseases, immunodeficiency, neuromuscular diseases, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome) present a significant risk of severe bronchiolitis and should be carefully assessed. This revised document, based on international and national scientific evidence, reinforces the current recommendations and integrates the recent advances for optimal care and prevention of acute bronchiolitis.

Comparison of two oxygen saturation targets to decide on hospital discharge of infants with viral bronchiolitis living at high altitudes: a cost-effectiveness analysis

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of two pulse oximetry (SpO2) thresholds to decide on hospital discharge when all other discharge criteria are met, in infants with viral bronchiolitis living at high altitudes.

METHODS

A decision analysis model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of the use of an SpO2 threshold of 90% versus one of 85% for deciding whether infants hospitalized for viral bronchiolitis can be safely discharged to home, from a third-party payer's perspective. The main outcome was discharge to home at day 4 of the initial hospitalization. The time horizon was 28 days after discharge from hospital. We performed deterministic sensitivity analyses and probabilistic sensitivity analyses.

RESULTS

Compared to the use of an SpO2 threshold of 90%, treating infants with viral bronchiolitis with the use of an SpO2 threshold of 85% resulted in lower total costs (US$119.39 vs. US$188.357 mean cost per patient) and a greater probability of discharge to home at day 4 of the initial hospitalization (0.8400 vs. 0.7600), therefore being a dominant strategy. Sensitivity analyses were in line with base case results.

CONCLUSIONS

In Bogota, a high-altitude city, in infants admitted for viral bronchiolitis, the use of an SpO2 threshold of 85% to decide on hospital discharge when all other discharge criteria are met is dominant because it entails a greater probability of discharge to home at day 4 of the initial hospitalization and generates fewer costs than the use of an SpO2 threshold of 90%.

Bronchiolitis

Viral bronchiolitis is the most common cause of admission to hospital for infants in high-income countries. Respiratory syncytial virus accounts for 60-80% of bronchiolitis presentations. Bronchiolitis is diagnosed clinically without the need for viral testing. Management recommendations, based predominantly on high-quality evidence, advise clinicians to support hydration and oxygenation only. Evidence suggests no benefit with use of glucocorticoids or bronchodilators, with further evidence required to support use of hypertonic saline in bronchiolitis. Evidence is scarce in the intensive care unit. Evidence suggests use of high-flow therapy in bronchiolitis is limited to rescue therapy after failure of standard subnasal oxygen only in infants who are hypoxic and does not decrease rates of intensive care unit admission or intubation. Despite systematic reviews and international clinical practice guidelines promoting supportive rather than interventional therapy, universal de-implementation of interventional care in bronchiolitis has not occurred and remains a major challenge.

Pneumococcal septic shock after neonatal respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis: A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Bronchiolitis is a common cause of hospitalisation of infants less than a year old, with most infants recovering without complications. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of bronchiolitis. Antimicrobial stewardship programmes do not recommend antibiotics for viral infections in neonates unless documented evidence of secondary bacterial infection is present.

CASE REPORT

We present the case of a 7-day-old infant admitted to hospital with chest retractions and fever. The baby was hospitalised, empirical antibiotic therapy was administered, and non-invasive ventilation was started. When the viral aetiology was identified and clinical conditions improved, antibiotics were discontinued. However, after 48 hours, the newborn's condition worsened because of pneumococcal septic shock. Intravenous fluids, catecholamine support, and wide-spectrum antibiotics were administered. Non-invasive ventilation was re-started and continued until the full recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

There is increasing evidence that RSV and S. pneumoniae co-infect and interact with each other, thus increasing respiratory diseases' severity. We provide a brief overview of the main international guidelines for managing bronchiolitis. Guidelines suggest avoidance of antibiotics use when the diagnosis of viral bronchiolitis is confirmed. We discuss the uncertainties regarding antibiotic use, especially in younger infants, who are more exposed to risks of bacterial superinfection.

Respiratory and pharmacological management in severe acute bronchiolitis: Were clinical guidelines not written for critical care?

PURPOSE

The treatment applied for children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for severe acute bronchiolitis may differ from general recommendations. The first objective of our study was to describe the treatments offered to these children in a Spanish tertiary PICU. The second objective was to analyse the changes in management derived from the publication of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) bronchiolitis guideline in 2014.

METHODS

This was a retrospective-prospective observational study conducted during two epidemic waves (2014-2015 and 2015-2016). The AAP guidelines were distributed and taught to PICU staff between both epidemic waves.

RESULTS

A total of 138 children were enrolled (78 male). In the first period, 78 children were enrolled. The median age was 1.8 months (IQR 1.1-3.6). There were no differences between the management in the two periods, except for the use of high-flow oxygen therapy (HFOT); its use increased in the second period. Overall, 83% of patients received non-invasive ventilation or HFOT. Children older than 12 months received HFOT exclusively. In comparison, continuous positive airway pressure and bi-level positive airway pressure were used less during the period 2015-2016 (P=0.036). Regarding pharmacological therapy, 70% of patients received antibiotics, 23% steroids, 33% salbutamol, 31% adrenaline, and 7% hypertonic saline. The mortality rate was zero.

CONCLUSIONS

Our PICU did not follow the AAP recommendations. There were no differences between the two periods, except in the use of HFOT. All children older than 12 months received HFOT exclusively. The rate of using invasive mechanical ventilation was also low.

A Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Bronchiolitis

BACKGROUND

Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospital admission for respiratory disease among infants aged <1 year. Clinical practice guidelines can benefit patients by reducing the performance of unnecessary tests, hospital admissions, and treatment with lack of a supportive evidence base. This review aimed to identify current clinical practice guidelines worldwide, appraise their methodological quality, and discuss variability across guidelines for the diagnosis and management of bronchiolitis.

METHODS

A systematic literature review of electronic databases EMBASE, Global Health, and Medline was performed. Manual searches of the gray literature, national pediatric society websites, and guideline-focused databases were performed, and select international experts were contacted to identify additional guidelines. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation assessment tool was used by 2 independent reviewers to appraise each guideline.

RESULTS

Thirty-two clinical practice guidelines met the selection criteria. Quality assessment revealed significant shortcomings in a number of guidelines, including lack of systematic processes in formulating guidelines, failure to state conflicts of interest, and lack of consultation with families of affected children. There was widespread agreement about a number of aspects, such as avoidance of the use of unnecessary diagnostic tests, risk factors for severe disease, indicators for hospital admission, discharge criteria, and nosocomial infection control. However, there was variability, even within areas of consensus, over specific recommendations, such as variable thresholds for oxygen therapy. Guidelines showed significant variability in recommendations for the pharmacological management of bronchiolitis, with conflicting recommendations over whether use of nebulized epinephrine, hypertonic saline, or bronchodilators should be routinely trialled.

CONCLUSIONS

Future guidelines should aim to be compliant with international standards for clinical guidelines to improve their quality and clarity and to promote their adoption into practice. Variable recommendations between guidelines may reflect the evolving evidence base for bronchiolitis management, and platforms should be created to understand this variability and promote evidence-based recommendations.

Caffeine treatment for bronchiolitis-related apnea in the pediatric intensive care unit

INTRODUCTION

Apnea is commonly encountered in children with bronchiolitis. Despite the lack of recommendations regarding bronchiolitis-related apnea (BRA) management, some pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) practitioners use caffeine treatment based on extrapolation from the recommendations for prematurity-related apnea management. The objectives of this study were to describe the management of BRA in our PICU, evaluate the caffeine prescription rate for this indication, and explore its potential effects on clinical outcomes.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study in a university hospital PICU between January 1st, 2009 and December 31st, 2016. All children under 1 year of age admitted to the PICU with a diagnosis of BRA were included. Patients were allocated to a control group or a caffeine group depending on the administration of caffeine.

RESULTS

In total, 54 infants were included and caffeine treatment was administered to 49 (91%) of them. Patient characteristics were similar between the two groups. Ventilatory support was initiated for 50 patients (93%). Supportive care and length of PICU stay were similar between the two groups. Caffeine was not associated with adverse events.

CONCLUSION

Caffeine treatment in BRA could be considered as a local standard practice. This retrospective study was underpowered to show any benefit of caffeine treatment on clinical outcomes. This treatment was not associated with significant adverse effects. We raised the question of the appropriate caffeine dosing regimen for BRA in this postterm population. Further studies on this topic are warranted.

Nutritional management of young infants presenting with acute bronchiolitis in Belgium, France and Switzerland: survey of current practices and documentary search of national guidelines worldwide

Feeding difficulties are common in young infants presenting with acute bronchiolitis, but limited data is available to guide clinicians adapting nutritional management. We aimed to assess paediatricians' nutritional practices among Western Europe French speaking countries. A survey was disseminated to describe advice given to parents for at home nutritional support, in hospital nutritional management, and preferred methods for enteral nutrition and for intravenous fluid management. A documentary search of international guidelines was concomitantly conducted. Ninety-three (66%) contacted physicians responded. Feeding difficulties were a common indication for infants' admission. Written protocols were rarely available. Enteral nutrition was favoured most of the time when oral nutrition was insufficient and might be withheld in case of severe dyspnoea to decrease respiratory workload. Half of physicians were aware of hyponatremia risk and pathophysiology, and isotonic intravenous solutions were used in less than 15% of centres. International guideline search (23 countries) showed a lack of detailed nutritional management recommendations in most of them.Conclusion: practices were inconsistent among physicians. Guidelines detailed nutritional management poorly. Awareness of hyponatremia risk in relation to intravenous hypotonic fluids and of the safety of enteral hydration and nutrition is insufficient. New guidelines including detailed nutritional management recommendations are urgently needed. What is Known? • Infants presenting with acute bronchiolitis face feeding difficulties. • Underfeeding may promote undernutrition, and intravenous hydration with hypotonic fluids may induce hyponatremia. What is New? • Physicians' nutritional practices are inconsistent and awareness of hyponatremia risk and pathophysiology is insufficient among physicians. • Awareness of hyponatremia risk and pathophysiology is insufficient among physicians. • The reasons for enteral nutrition withholding in bronchiolitis infants are not evidence based, and national guidelines of acute bronchiolitis across the world are elusive regarding nutritional management. • National guidelines of acute bronchiolitis across the world are elusive regarding nutritional management.

[Criteria heterogeneity in the diagnosis of acute bronchiolitis in Spain]

INTRODUCTION

Acute viral bronchiolitis (AB) is one of the most common respiratory diseases in infants. However, diagnostic criteria for AB are heterogeneous and not very well known.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the diagnostic criteria for AB used by experts and clinical paediatricians in Spain.

METHODS

Delphi study with Spanish AB experts, looking for the points of agreement about AB diagnosis. A subsequent cross-sectional study was conducted by means of an on-line questionnaire addressed to all Spanish paediatricians, reached through electronic mail messages sent by nine paediatric scientific societies. Descriptive and factorial analyses were carried out, looking for any association of diagnostic criteria with demographic or geographic variables, or with paediatric subspecialty.

RESULTS

Agreement was reached by 40 experts in many issues (first episode of respiratory distress and high respiratory frequency, diagnosis in any season of the year, and usefulness of virus identification in making diagnosis), but opposite views were maintained on key characteristics such as the maximum age for diagnosis. The on-line questionnaire was completed by 1297 paediatricians. Their diagnostic criteria were heterogeneous and strongly associated with their paediatric sub-specialty. Their agreement with the Spanish expert consensus and with international standards was very poor.

CONCLUSIONS

Diagnostic criteria for AB in Spain are heterogeneous. These differences could cause variability in clinical practice with AB patients.

Criteria heterogeneity in the diagnosis of acute bronchiolitis in Spain

INTRODUCTION

Acute viral bronchiolitis (AB) is one of the most common respiratory diseases in infants. However, diagnostic criteria for AB are heterogeneous and not very well known.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the diagnostic criteria for AB used by experts and clinical paediatricians in Spain.

METHODS

Delphi study with Spanish AB experts, looking for the points of agreement about AB diagnosis. A subsequent cross-sectional study was conducted by means of an online questionnaire addressed to all Spanish paediatricians, reached through electronic mail messages sent by nine paediatric scientific societies. Descriptive and factorial analyses were carried out, looking for any association of diagnostic criteria with demographic or geographic variables, or with paediatric subspecialty.

RESULTS

Agreement was reached by 40 experts in many issues (first episode of respiratory distress and high respiratory frequency, diagnosis in any season of the year, and usefulness of virus identification in making diagnosis), but opposite views were maintained on key characteristics such as the maximum age for diagnosis. The online questionnaire was completed by 1297 paediatricians. Their diagnostic criteria were heterogeneous and strongly associated with their paediatric sub-specialty. Their agreement with the Spanish expert consensus and with international standards was very poor.

CONCLUSIONS

Diagnostic criteria for AB in Spain are heterogeneous. These differences could cause variability in clinical practice with AB patients.

Retrospective audit of guidelines for investigation and treatment of bronchiolitis: a French perspective

INTRODUCTION

As the most recent French bronchiolitis guidelines were published in 2000, there is a current overinvestigation and an overtreatment of infants hospitalised with bronchiolitis in France. In 2012, the Group of Pediatric University Hospitals in Western France ('HUGO') proposed new evidence-based clinical practice guidelines in keeping with the latest international guidelines. We hypothesise that the implementation of these guidelines contributed to the quality improvement of the management of bronchiolitis in our hospital. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of these guidelines on the management of bronchiolitis inpatients.

METHODS

This retrospective before/after study design was conducted in the general paediatric unit of a tertiary care French hospital, looking at 1 year before (ie, the winter of 2011-2012) and 1 year after (ie, the winter of 2013-2014) the implementation of the guidelines. Two hundred and eighty bronchiolitis inpatients, all less than 1 year of age, 115 in 2011-2012 and 165 in 2013-2014, were included. The primary outcome we sought to evaluate was the proportion of children administered a diagnostic test associated with a treatment not routinely recommended by the guidelines. As balancing measures, we evaluated the length of stay, the intensive care unit transfer and the readmission rates.

RESULTS

Following implementation of the guidelines, use of any given treatment associated with a diagnostic test was reduced by 66% (p<0.001). There were major decreases in the use of chest X-ray (86%vs26%, p<0.001), antibiotics (38%vs13%, p<0.001) and corticosteroids (10%vs3%, p=0.011). Balancing measures were not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONS

HUGO guidelines were effective at reducing the administration of unnecessary diagnostic tests and medications. This study was the first step in convincing French paediatricians to streamline their practices until updated national guidelines are published.

Quality assessment of acute viral bronchiolitis clinical practice guidelines

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Recently, in an attempt to reduce variability in clinical practice and produce better results for patients, several clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the appropriate diagnosis and management of bronchiolitis in infants have been developed. However, the quality of available CPGs for bronchiolitis management has not yet been systematically evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of acute viral bronchiolitis CPGs.

METHOD

We performed a systematic and exhaustive search of CPGs on bronchiolitis published from 2000 to 2014. Three independent appraisers assessed the quality of the CPGs using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument. A standardized score was calculated for each of the six domains, and the CPGS were rated as recommended, recommended with modifications, or not recommended.

RESULTS

Six CPGs published between the years 2000 and 2014 were selected from a total of 111 citations. There was substantial agreement among reviewers (ICC: 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61-0.89). The domains that scored the highest were 'scope and purpose', with a mean value of 92.1% (range: 77.8-100%), and 'clarity of presentation' [83.3% (69.4-91.7%)]. Those that scored the lowest were 'applicability' [44.3% (8.3-77.1%)], and 'stakeholder involvement' [66.7% (47.2-94.4%)]. Three CPGS were evaluated as being recommended with modifications, and only two were recommended for use in clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Available bronchiolitis CPGs vary in quality, and the findings of the present study are useful for identifying aspects or domains where there is room for improvement in future CPGs.

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.

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

BACKGROUND

This Cochrane review was first published in 2005 and updated in 2007, 2012 and now 2015. Acute bronchiolitis is the leading cause of medical emergencies during winter in children younger than two years of age. Chest physiotherapy is sometimes used to assist infants in the clearance of secretions in order to decrease ventilatory effort.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the efficacy of chest physiotherapy in infants aged less than 24 months old with acute bronchiolitis. A secondary objective was to determine the efficacy of different techniques of chest physiotherapy (for example, vibration and percussion and passive forced exhalation).

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL (2015, Issue 9) (accessed 8 July 2015), MEDLINE (1966 to July 2015), MEDLINE in-process and other non-indexed citations (July 2015), EMBASE (1990 to July 2015), CINAHL (1982 to July 2015), LILACS (1985 to July 2015), Web of Science (1985 to July 2015) and Pedro (1929 to July 2015).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in which chest physiotherapy was compared against no intervention or against another type of physiotherapy in bronchiolitis patients younger than 24 months of age.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently extracted data. Primary outcomes were change in the severity status of bronchiolitis and time to recovery. Secondary outcomes were respiratory parameters, duration of oxygen supplementation, length of hospital stay, use of bronchodilators and steroids, adverse events and parents' impression of physiotherapy benefit. No pooling of data was possible.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 12 RCTs (1249 participants), three more than the previous Cochrane review, comparing physiotherapy with no intervention. Five trials (246 participants) evaluated conventional techniques (vibration and percussion plus postural drainage), and seven trials (1003 participants) evaluated passive flow-oriented expiratory techniques: slow passive expiratory techniques in four trials, and forced passive expiratory techniques in three trials.Conventional techniques failed to show a benefit in the primary outcome of change in severity status of bronchiolitis measured by means of clinical scores (five trials, 241 participants analysed). Safety of conventional techniques has been studied only anecdotally, with one case of atelectasis, the collapse or closure of the lung resulting in reduced or absent gas exchange, reported in the control arm of one trial.Slow passive expiratory techniques failed to show a benefit in the primary outcomes of severity status of bronchiolitis and in time to recovery (low quality of evidence). Three trials analysing 286 participants measured severity of bronchiolitis through clinical scores, with no significant differences between groups in any of these trials, conducted in patients with moderate and severe disease. Only one trial observed a transient significant small improvement in the Wang clinical score immediately after the intervention in patients with moderate severity of disease. There is very low quality evidence that slow passive expiratory techniques seem to be safe, as two studies (256 participants) reported that no adverse effects were observed.Forced passive expiratory techniques failed to show an effect on severity of bronchiolitis in terms of time to recovery (two trials, 509 participants) and time to clinical stability (one trial, 99 participants analysed). This evidence is of high quality and corresponds to patients with severe bronchiolitis. Furthermore, there is also high quality evidence that these techniques are related to an increased risk of transient respiratory destabilisation (risk ratio (RR) 10.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3 to 78.8, one trial) and vomiting during the procedure (RR 5.4, 95% CI 1.6 to 18.4, one trial). Results are inconclusive for bradycardia with desaturation (RR 1.0, 95% CI 0.2 to 5.0, one trial) and bradycardia without desaturation (RR 3.6, 95% CI 0.7 to 16.9, one trial), due to the limited precision of estimators. However, in mild to moderate bronchiolitis patients, forced expiration combined with conventional techniques produced an immediate relief of disease severity (one trial, 13 participants).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

None of the chest physiotherapy techniques analysed in this review (conventional, slow passive expiratory techniques or forced expiratory techniques) have demonstrated a reduction in the severity of disease. For these reasons, these techniques cannot be used as standard clinical practice for hospitalised patients with severe bronchiolitis. There is high quality evidence that forced expiratory techniques in severe patients do not improve their health status and can lead to severe adverse events. Slow passive expiratory techniques provide an immediate and transient relief in moderate patients without impact on duration. Future studies should test the potential effect of slow passive expiratory techniques in mild to moderate non-hospitalised patients and patients who are respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) positive. Also, they could explore the combination of chest physiotherapy with salbutamol or hypertonic saline.

Mucolytics for intubated asthmatic children: a national survey of United kingdom paediatric intensive care consultants

Aim. The extent to which mucolytics are utilised in mechanically ventilated asthmatic children is unknown. We sought to establish current practice in the United Kingdom (UK) including choice of mucolytic, dose, and frequency of utilisation. Methods. A national electronic survey was distributed to UK consultants during April and May 2014. We were able to identify 168 PICU consultants at 25 institutions to whom we were able to electronically distribute a survey, representing an estimated 81% of UK NHS PICU consultants. Results. Replies were received from 87 consultants at 21 institutions (response rate = 52%). Recombinant human DNase (rhDNase) does get administered by 63% of clinicians, with 54% and 19% that administer hypertonic saline or N-acetylcysteine, respectively. Of those that do administer rhDNase the majority (48%) dilute it with 0.9% saline and blindly administer it, whereas 35% administer rhDNase under bronchoscopic guidance and 17% judge the necessity for bronchoscopy according to clinical severity. 25 respondents described 7 different methods to calculate rhDNase dose. A majority (87%) of respondents expressed an interest to consider enrolling patients into an RCT that evaluates rhDNase. Conclusion. Significant variation exists regarding the necessity for mucolytics, choice of agent, optimal route, and dose in intubated asthmatic children.