Bronchiolitis: unresolved public health problem

Abstract

Introduction: Acute bronchiolitis (AB) is the main cause of admissions to emergency rooms and pediatric wards, especially in infants under 2 years of age. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) has been reported to be the most frequent infectious agent responsible for 70 to 85% of the cases seen. So far, it has not been possible to produce an effective and safe vaccine to eliminate from the list of dangerous agents this virus that usually has a universal distribution.

The diagnosis of acute bronchiolitis is fundamentally clinical, however, in the last decade the introduction of screening panels for several agents causing lower respiratory infections has been very useful to confirm the prevalence of RSV, and to add to the lists other viral agents that can give a similar picture. This list includes adenovirus, parainfluenza, rhinovirus and metapneumovirus. In Panama, the seasonality of RSV began in the rainy season (May) and ended at the end of the year with the onset of the summer or dry season. Results: During the first year of the pandemic (2020) there was a significant reduction in the number of cases seen in pediatric emergency rooms, as well as in hospitalizations. In 2021 there was again an increase in the number of cases seen in emergency rooms and an increase in the number of admissions. Conclusions: During the pandemic years, there were cases of RSV bronchiolitis during the dry season, not adjusting to the seasonality of the pre-pandemic years.