User:Mr. Ibrahem/Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis is blockage of the small airways in the lungs due to a viral infection. It usually only occurs in children under the age of two-years. Symptoms may include fever, cough, runny nose, wheezing, and breathing problems. More severe cases may be associated with nasal flaring, grunting, or the skin between the ribs pulling in with breathing. If the child has not been able to feed properly, signs of dehydration may be present.

Bronchiolitis is usually the result of infection by respiratory syncytial virus (70% of cases) or human rhinovirus (26% of cases). Diagnosis is generally based on symptoms. Tests such as a chest X-ray or viral testing are not routinely needed.

There is no specific treatment. Supportive care at home is generally sufficient. Occasionally hospital admission for oxygen, support with feeding, or intravenous fluids is required. Tentative evidence supports nebulized hypertonic saline. Evidence for antibiotics, antivirals, bronchodilators, or nebulized epinephrine is either unclear or not supportive.

About 10% to 30% of children under the age of two years are affected by bronchiolitis at some point in time. It more commonly occurs in the winter in the Northern hemisphere. It is the leading cause of hospitalizations in those less than one year of age in the United States. The risk of death among those who are admitted to hospital is about 1%. Outbreaks of the condition were first described in the 1940s.