Bronchiolitis Disease on Fangshicun Health Care

The infant bronchiolitis is a disease caused by viruses that affect children under two years, most often in the winter. In general the treatment is symptomatic and usually lasts a week, but this may be complicated by pneumonia or hiperreacividad squeal of bronchial asthma.

Bronchiolitis

1. What is bronchiolitis?

Bronchiolitis is a child acute viral lower respiratory tract that affects infants and young children more often in the winter.

It affects the bronchioles, terminal part of the bronchi, which is small enough to block in the presence of inflammation, which prevented adequate air passage.

It is characterized by difficulty breathing, wheezing audible (Whistles) and crackling noise.

The cough becomes persistent and severe and there may be shrinkage of the ribs and prostration.

2. Causes

Bronchiolitis is caused by virus. The most common is called Respiratory Syncytial Virus (VRS), although many are able to play (influenza virus, etc).

The contagion is carried out by direct contact; the virus is found in the droplets of breath and is easily spread by sneezing or coughing.

Usually involves infants in male with a male: female ratio of 2-1.

3. Symptoms

• Cough.
• Increased respiratory rate.
• Difficulty feeding.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Presence of respiratory sounds like whistling (wheezing).
• Increased work of breathing with use of accessory muscles of the chest (retraction).
• Nasal flaring (here the effort to breathe is important, moving the perimeter of the nostrils)
• Prolonged respiratory pauses or apneas (more common in premature).

4. Risk Factors

There are two factors that favor bronchiolitis in children who are infected by one of these viruses:

Age: If the infected child has more than two years apart to have more defenses, the bronchioles are big enough not to be blocked when inflamed. In this way, they do not usually appear respiratory distress.

Other risk factors for disease development are less than 6 months, lack of breastfeeding, overcrowding, day care attendance and living with smokers.

Risk factors for severe disease are under 3 months, history of prematurely and presence of associated diseases.

5. Treatment

Keep your child well hydrated, Humidity, nasal washes and vacuum aspiration of nasal secretions.

They are useful position Built half (To make breathing easier) and physiotherapy (patting his back and chest) to mobilize mucus secretions in the bronchi.

Most children are sick for about a week and then recover. Generally this is not supported the use of antibiotics unless bacterial infection is suspected.

Snuff smoke is very harmful to these children so parents should refrain from smoking inside and outside the home.

The use of bronchodilators will always be prescribed by doctors, while being consulted, have the child drink liquids. Do not worry if he or she does not feel like solid food.

6. Forecast

The process is self-limiting, i.e. cures itself although it may take more than a week or complicated, rarely, in the form of pneumonia.

Later it may be a residual cough that gradually will fade.

Often, in some children with a predisposition, to suffer new bronchiolitis although, it is common that are “episodes of bronchospasm.” In fact what happens is that the bronchi and bronchioles that were damaged in the first bronchiolitis are “hyper reactive”, i.e. in the presence of a new blue box are reacting to contract (bronchospasm) and causing no need for inflammation the same, obstruction to airflow. This phenomenon of bronchial hyper responsiveness (exaggerated reaction to a stimulus bronchus) usually heals gradually before the 2-4 years.  Sometimes it persists beyond 4-6 years and then one could speak of asthma.