Skip to main content
PMC home page
Archives of Disease in Childhood logoLink to Archives of Disease in Childhood
. 1985 Nov;60(11):1064–1067. doi: 10.1136/adc.60.11.1064

Continuing respiratory problems three and a half years after acute viral bronchiolitis.

M S Webb, R L Henry, A D Milner, G M Stokes, A S Swarbrick
PMCID: PMC1777618  PMID: 4073937

Abstract

We reviewed the clinical progress of 81 children as part of a prospective study three and a half years after admission to hospital with acute viral bronchiolitis in infancy. Fifty six (69%) reported episodes of lower respiratory symptoms continuing over the preceding year, 25 (31%) had symptoms lasting for longer than two weeks on two or more occasions, 14 (17%) had symptoms for more than 100 days, and six (7%) required readmission to hospital with acute respiratory illness. Two years previously, these percentages had been 82%, 36%, 33%, and 13% respectively. Forty six (57%) children were said to be improving or to have become asymptomatic, but eight (10%) were deteriorating. There was no difference in the personal or family history of atopy, nor in the rate of skin test positivity between those with and without continuing symptoms, suggesting that atopy does not play an important role in the persistence of symptoms. Less than half the symptomatic children had received bronchodilator treatment during the preceding 12 months.

Full text

PDF
1064

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Burrows B., Lebowitz M. D., Knudson R. J. Epidemiologic evidence that childhood problems predispose to airways disease in the adult (an association between adult and pediatric respiratory disorders). Pediatr Res. 1977 Mar;11(3 Pt 2):218–220. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Fergusson D. M., Horwood L. J., Shannon F. T. Parental smoking and respiratory illness in infancy. Arch Dis Child. 1980 May;55(5):358–361. doi: 10.1136/adc.55.5.358. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Henry R. L., Hodges I. G., Milner A. D., Stokes G. M. Respiratory problems 2 years after acute bronchiolitis in infancy. Arch Dis Child. 1983 Sep;58(9):713–716. doi: 10.1136/adc.58.9.713. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Henry R., Milner A. D., Stokes G. M. Bronchiolitis. Am J Dis Child. 1983 Aug;137(8):805–806. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1983.02140340085025. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Laing I., Reidel F., Yap P. L., Simpson H. Atopy predisposing to acute bronchiolitis during an epidemic of respiratory syncytial virus. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982 Apr 10;284(6322):1070–1072. doi: 10.1136/bmj.284.6322.1070. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. McConnochie K. M., Roghmann K. J. Bronchiolitis as a possible cause of wheezing in childhood: new evidence. Pediatrics. 1984 Jul;74(1):1–10. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Mok J. Y., Simpson H. Outcome of acute lower respiratory tract infection in infants: preliminary report of seven-year follow-up study. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982 Jul 31;285(6338):333–337. doi: 10.1136/bmj.285.6338.333. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Mok J. Y., Simpson H. Symptoms, atopy, and bronchial reactivity after lower respiratory infection in infancy. Arch Dis Child. 1984 Apr;59(4):299–305. doi: 10.1136/adc.59.4.299. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Pullan C. R., Hey E. N. Wheezing, asthma, and pulmonary dysfunction 10 years after infection with respiratory syncytial virus in infancy. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982 Jun 5;284(6330):1665–1669. doi: 10.1136/bmj.284.6330.1665. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Pullan C. R., Toms G. L., Martin A. J., Gardner P. S., Webb J. K., Appleton D. R. Breast-feeding and respiratory syncytial virus infection. Br Med J. 1980 Oct 18;281(6247):1034–1036. doi: 10.1136/bmj.281.6247.1034. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Sibbald B., Horn M. E., Brain E. A., Gregg I. Genetic factors in childhood asthma. Thorax. 1980 Sep;35(9):671–674. doi: 10.1136/thx.35.9.671. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Sims D. G., Gardner P. S., Weightman D., Turner M. W., Soothill J. F. Atopy does not predispose to RSV bronchiolitis or postbronchiolitic wheezing. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1981 Jun 27;282(6282):2086–2088. doi: 10.1136/bmj.282.6282.2086. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Speight A. N., Lee D. A., Hey E. N. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of asthma in childhood. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1983 Apr 16;286(6373):1253–1256. doi: 10.1136/bmj.286.6373.1253. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Stokes G. M., Milner A. D., Hodges I. G., Groggins R. C. Lung function abnormalities after acute bronchiolitis. J Pediatr. 1981 Jun;98(6):871–874. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(81)80577-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tipton W. R. Evaluation of skin testing in the diagnosis of IgE-mediated disease. Pediatr Clin North Am. 1983 Oct;30(5):785–793. doi: 10.1016/s0031-3955(16)34464-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Archives of Disease in Childhood are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES