Mecklin M, et al. – This descriptive study was carried out to examine the incidence and risk factors for intensive care and respiratory support in infant bronchiolitis. Accumulated data displayed that less than 0.1% of infants under the age of 12 months were admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for bronchiolitis. Independent risk factors for both intensive care and respiratory support were low age, low birth weight or prematurity and congenital heart disease.

Methods

• This study consisted of 105 patients treated in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and 210 controls treated in the emergency department or on the paediatric ward in Tampere University Hospital in Finland between 2000–2015.
• The adjusted logistic regression included statistically significant risk factors in non–adjusted analyses.

Results

• Collected data revealed that the average age–specific annual incidence of bronchiolitis requiring PICU admission under the age of 12 months was 1.5/1,000/year (range 0.18–2.59). 
• Independently significant risk factors for PICU admission were: being less than two months old with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 11.5, birth weight <2,000g (aOR 15.9), congenital heart disease (aOR 15.9), apnoea (aOR 7.2) and the absence of wheezing (aOR 2.2).
• A birth weight of <2,000g, an age of less than two months and congenital heart disease were the significant risk factors for needing respiratory support.