ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Since the Covid-19 pandemic, bronchiolitis outbreaks have been subject to disrupted seasonality, and a major impact on the healthcare system was observed in 2022-23. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to describe the characteristics of the 2022-23 bronchiolitis epidemic in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, and its impact on the healthcare system. METHOD: We described the indicators of dynamics, intensity, severity and impact provided by the bronchiolitis monitoring in place, and compared these with those from previous seasons. RESULTS: The intensity of the 2022-23 epidemic (emergency department visits: 23 %; SOS Médecins acts: 15 %), and its impact in terms of bronchiolitis-related hospitalizations (45 %) were higher than in previous seasons (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In addition to earliness, the 2022-23 bronchiolitis epidemic was significant as regards its exceptional scale and major impact on the hospital system, requiring adaptation of the preexisting healthcare offer in response to the anticipated demand.
