Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Epidemiology and Infection logoLink to Epidemiology and Infection
. 1992 Feb;108(1):147–154. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800049591

Epidemiology and aetiology of acute bronchiolitis in Hong Kong infants.

R Y Sung 1, R C Chan 1, J S Tam 1, A F Cheng 1, H G Murray 1
PMCID: PMC2272179  PMID: 1312477

Abstract

The epidemiological, clinical and virological features of 1220 children with acute bronchiolitis admitted to the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, from 1985 to 1988 are reported. They accounted for 6.6% of total paediatric admissions and provided a case incidence of bronchiolitis requiring admission to hospital of approximately 21 per 1000 children 0-24 months of age. The clinical course and outcome was in general benign. The average hospital stay was 5 days and there were no deaths. Ten per cent of patients were repeatedly admitted to hospital with recurrent wheezing after discharge. Two infants developed bronchiolitis obliterans. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was shown by direct immunofluorescence, virus culture and serology to be the commonest cause of acute bronchiolitis in Hong Kong. Other aetiological agents included parainfluenza and influenza viruses, adenoviruses, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. In contrast to western countries, a seasonal variation of bronchiolitis was found with a peak incidence in the summer months. The significance of these observations is discussed.

Full text

PDF
147

Selected References

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

  1. Berman S., Duenas A., Bedoya A., Constain V., Leon S., Borrero I., Murphy J. Acute lower respiratory tract illnesses in Cali, Colombia: a two-year ambulatory study. Pediatrics. 1983 Feb;71(2):210–218. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. CHANOCK R. M., KIM H. W., VARGOSKO A. J., DELEVA A., JOHNSON K. M., CUMMING C., PARROTT R. H. Respiratory syncytial virus. I. Virus recovery and other observations during 1960 outbreak of bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and minor respiratory diseases in children. JAMA. 1961 May 27;176:647–653. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cherian T., Simoes E. A., Steinhoff M. C., Chitra K., John M., Raghupathy P., John T. J. Bronchiolitis in tropical south India. Am J Dis Child. 1990 Sep;144(9):1026–1030. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1990.02150330086028. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DISNEY M. E., SANDIFORD B. R., CRAGG J., WOLFF J. Epidemic bronchiolitis in infants. Br Med J. 1960 May 7;1(5183):1407–1411. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5183.1407. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. De Silva L. M., Hanlon M. G. Respiratory syncytial virus: a report of a 5-year study at a children's hospital. J Med Virol. 1986 Aug;19(4):299–305. doi: 10.1002/jmv.1890190402. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Denny F. W., Collier A. M., Henderson F. W., Clyde W. A., Jr The epidemiology of bronchiolitis. Pediatr Res. 1977 Mar;11(3 Pt 2):234–236. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gardner P. S. How etiologic, pathologic, and clinical diagnoses can be made in a correlated fashion. Pediatr Res. 1977 Mar;11(3 Pt 2):254–261. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HEYCOCK J. B., NOBLE T. C. 1,230 cases of acute bronchiolitis in infancy. Br Med J. 1962 Oct 6;2(5309):879–881. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5309.879. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Henderson F. W., Clyde W. A., Jr, Collier A. M., Denny F. W., Senior R. J., Sheaffer C. I., Conley W. G., 3rd, Christian R. M. The etiologic and epidemiologic spectrum of bronchiolitis in pediatric practice. J Pediatr. 1979 Aug;95(2):183–190. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(79)80647-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kim H. W., Arrobio J. O., Brandt C. D., Jeffries B. C., Pyles G., Reid J. L., Chanock R. M., Parrott R. H. Epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus infection in Washington, D.C. I. Importance of the virus in different respiratory tract disease syndromes and temporal distribution of infection. Am J Epidemiol. 1973 Sep;98(3):216–225. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a121550. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Leer J. A., Jr, Green J. L., Heimlich E. M., Hyde J. S., Moffet H. L., Young G. A., Barron B. A. Corticosteroid treatment in bronchiolitis. A controlled, collaborative study in 297 infants and children. Am J Dis Child. 1969 May;117(5):495–503. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Leung D. T., Tseng R. Y., Davies D. P. Setting up a clinical audit of paediatric morbidity in Hong Kong: some early experiences. Aust Paediatr J. 1987 Apr;23(2):111–113. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1754.1987.tb02188.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Martin A. J., Gardner P. S., McQuillin J. Epidemiology of respiratory viral infection among paediatric inpatients over a six-year period in north-east England. Lancet. 1978 Nov 11;2(8098):1035–1038. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)92351-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. McConnochie K. M. Bronchiolitis. What's in the name? Am J Dis Child. 1983 Jan;137(1):11–13. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Mok J. Y., Simpson H. Outcome for acute bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia in infancy. Arch Dis Child. 1984 Apr;59(4):306–309. doi: 10.1136/adc.59.4.306. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. 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]
  17. 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]
  18. Sims D. G., Downham M. A., Gardner P. S., Webb J. K., Weightman D. Study of 8-year-old children with a history of respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis in infancy. Br Med J. 1978 Jan 7;1(6104):11–14. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6104.11. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Spence L., Barratt N. Respiratory syncytial virus associated with acute respiratory infections in Trinidadian patients. Am J Epidemiol. 1968 Sep;88(2):257–266. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a120884. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sung R. Y., Murray H. G., Chan R. C., Davies D. P., French G. L. Seasonal patterns of respiratory syncytial virus infection in Hong Kong: a preliminary report. J Infect Dis. 1987 Sep;156(3):527–528. doi: 10.1093/infdis/156.3.527. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wong H. B., Aiyathurai J. E., Tay J. S., Teo J., Quak S. H., Sothy S. P. Acute bronchiolitis in infancy. J Singapore Paediatr Soc. 1983;25(3-4):89–95. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Epidemiology and Infection are provided here courtesy of Cambridge University Press

RESOURCES