Pro-Con Debate: Protracted Bacterial Bronchitis as a Cause of Chronic Cough in Children

Clinical features and pathogen distributions of microbiological-based protracted bacterial bronchitis in children of different ages in Northeast China

Background

Protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) is often diagnosed clinically according to chronic wet cough, which can be resolved by appropriate antibiotics. Though rarely performed in PBB diagnosis, bacterial cultures by sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid can provide etiological features, which may be different in western countries and different areas of China. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and etiological features and outcomes in children of different ages with PBB in northeast China.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed children diagnosed with PBB by positive BAL fluid or sputum bacterial cultures between 2017 and 2021. Children were divided into three age groups: <1 year (infants), 1-5 years (younger children), and ≥6 years (older children). Clinical characteristics, chest radiographic findings, bronchoscopy findings, microbiological findings, treatment strategies, and outcomes were reviewed and compared among the age groups. Factors associated with remission during follow-up were examined using logistic regression.

Results

A total of 45 children with PBB were included, consisting of 24 (53.3%) infants. The infants were often boys and had a shorter cough duration, a lower proportion of expectoration, a greater proportion of wheezing, and less bronchial wall thickening on high-resolution computed tomography compared to older children (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found among the age groups regarding macroscopic findings, except for a higher proportion of tracheobronchial malacia in infants than in older children (P = 0.013). The most commonly cultured bacteria were Haemophilus influenzae (42.2%), followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (22.2%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (20.0%). Compared to older children, infants had a higher remission (P = 0.009) and relatively lower relapse rates (P = 0.059). Short duration of cough (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.34-0.99, P = 0.046) and absence of recurrent cephalosporins before diagnosis (OR = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.00-0.73, P = 0.028) were associated with remission.

Conclusions

Infants are more prone to PBB, with increased wheezing. Gram-negative bacilli infections are common in infants in northeast China. Older children with PBB should be carefully assessed, treated and followed up, particularly those with long duration of cough and poor response to antibiotic treatments.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Nasopharyngeal Swab Cultures in Children Less Than Five Years with Chronic Wet Cough

Background: It is necessary to find a non-invasive and accurate procedure to predict persistent bacterial bronchitis (PBB) causative organisms and guide antibiotic therapy. The study objective was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of nasopharyngeal swab cultures with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cultures in children with PBB. Methods: Nasopharyngeal swab and BAL fluid specimens were collected and cultured for bacterial pathogens prospectively from less than five-year-old children undergoing flexible bronchoscopy for chronic wet cough. Results: Of the 59 children included in the study, 26 (44.1%) patients had a positive BAL bacterial culture with neutrophilic inflammation. Prevalence of positive cultures for any of the four common respiratory pathogens implicated in PBB (Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Haemophilus influenzae) was significantly higher (p = 0.001) in NP swabs compared to BAL fluids (86.4% and 44.1% of PBB cases, respectively). NP swab cultures for any of the four main bacterial pathogens had 85% (95% CI: 65–96%) and 48% (95% CI: 31–66%) sensitivity and specificity of detecting PBB, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were 56% (95% CI: 47–65%) and 80% (95% CI: 60–91%), respectively. In conclusion, in children less than 5 years of age with chronic wet cough (PBB-clinical), a negative NP swab result reduces the likelihood of lower airway infection; however, a positive NP swab does not accurately predict the presence of lower airway pathogens. Flexible bronchoscopy should be considered in those with recurrent PBB-clinical or with clinical pointers of central airway anomalies.

Antibiotic stewardship: Improving patient-centered right care in urgent care using a shared decision aid and 5 Ds tool

BACKGROUND

Overuse of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistance, costing $35 billion and causing approximately 23,000 deaths in the United States annually. Antibiotic stewardship is important in urgent care centers to prevent antibiotic resistance.

LOCAL PROBLEM

Providers prescribed antibiotics to 80% of patients with viral conditions at this urgent care center. The aim of this quality improvement (QI) project was to improve right care for patients of 65 years and younger with upper respiratory infections and/or head, ears, nose, or throat viral illnesses presenting to urgent care from 36.2% to 80% within 90 days.

METHODS

Four rapid Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles were performed every two weeks. Four concurrent focus areas were used for team and patient engagement, antibiotic prescribing, and tracking right care.

INTERVENTIONS

There were four core interventions. These included biweekly team meetings, a shared decision aid (SDA), an antibiotic prescribing 5 Ds tool, and a case management log.

RESULTS

Use of the SDA improved patient engagement from 33% to 93%. The 5 Ds tool improved proper prescribing from 20% to 95%. Pediatric acute otitis media had the greatest improvement, with the proper diagnosis and the use of watchful waiting, delaying the filling of an antibiotic prescription.

CONCLUSION

Antibiotic stewardship and standardization of prescribing were improved in urgent care with the use of the 5 Ds tool. This QI project can be replicated for use in urgent care centers for compliance with the Joint Commission standards required.

Update on protracted bacterial bronchitis in children

BACKGROUND

Chronic cough is a common symptom in children and protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) is one of the causes of chronic cough. However, the understanding of this disease remains limited. The present study aims to update PBB in children.

METHODS

The clinical data of children with PBB from 2014 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed, and PBB clinical features of published studies were summarized. Electronic databases were searched in May 2019. Clinical studies were included in the present study. Reviews were undertaken in duplicate.

RESULTS

Totally 712 cases were analyzed in this study, including 52 cases in our center and 660 cases from 14 studies. In the 52 cases, 88.5% of patients with PBB were less than 6 years old and all of them complained of wet cough. Three cases were confirmed with laryngomalacia, and microbiologically-based-PBB were identified in 13 cases (9 Streptococcus pneumonia, 3 Staphylococcus aureus, and 1 Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Twenty cases were completely remitted after treatment. In the 14 studies, the patients with PBB were typically younger than 3 years old, accompanying wheezing and airway malacia. Co-infection was common in most western cases, Streptococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus influenza and Moraxella catarrhalis were the top three pathogens. Symptoms were improved in most patients, whereas some cases with comorbidities required prolonged antibiotics treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

PBB is common in male infants with chronic wet cough and accompanied by wheezing and airway deformities. Most cases are clinically diagnosed PBB in China and microbiologically-based-PBB is common in western countries. Co-infection could be found, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenza were the most frequent etiology in China and western countries, respectively. Patients with comorbidities may need extended antibiotics treatment for more than 2 weeks.

An underestimated cause of chronic cough: The Protracted Bacterial Bronchitis

Chronic cough in childhood is associated with a high morbidity and decreased quality of life. Protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) seems to be the second most common cause of chronic cough in children under 6 years of age. Its main clinical feature is represented by wet cough that worsens when changing posture and improves after the introduction of antibiotics. Currently, the mainstay of PBB treatment is a 2-week therapy with a high dose of antibiotics, such as co-amoxiclav, to eradicate the infection and restore epithelial integrity. It is very important to contemplate this disease in a child with chronic cough since the misdiagnosis of PBB could lead to complications such as bronchiectasis. Clinicians, however, often do not consider this disease in the differential diagnosis and, consequently, they are inclined to change the antibiotic therapy rather than to extend it or to add steroids. Data sources of this review include PubMed up to December 2016, using the search terms “child,” “chronic cough,” and “protracted bacterial bronchitis.”