ABSTRACT
Bronchiolitis is the first episode of wheezing associated with low-grade fever, rhinitis, tachypnea, and increase respiratory effort in a previously healthy infant during the winter months. It is the most common disease of the lower respiratory tract. This is a case control study carried out on one hundred infants with a mean age of 3.9 months +/- 2.2 months admitted to Children Welfare Teaching Hospital in Medical City -Baghdad with acute bronchiolitis during the period from 1[st] January 2006 to 1[st] April 2006. epidemiological risk factors, clinical presentations, chest X-ray findings, treatment, complications and outcome were analyzed. Another one hundred infants [age and sex matched] were seen in the outpatient clinical in the same period and for health problems other than bronchiolitis were taken as a control group. Chi square test was used and a P<0.05 was considered significant. It was found that 64% of patients were males and 36% were females M/F: 1.9/1, 80% were <6 months and 20% were >6 months of age. Most cases [87%] were admitted on January and February. Bronchiolitis was uncommon and less severe in neonatal period. There was a significant association between urban residence and acute bronchiolitis. There was no significant association between each of family history of atopy, parental smoking, pets at home and crowding index > 30 with bronchiolitis. Fever >38.1C was significantly more common in infants with bronchiolitis > 6 months of age than those less than 6 months. The mean clinical scores of severity, the mean duration of hospitalization and Chest X-ray findings were higher in: male sex, age <6 months, infants who were on exclusive breast feeding. Corticosteroids did not reduce the duration of hospitalization in children with acute bronchiolitis