Case of the Month #29 Bronchiolitis

Published 12/05/2022

What clinical syndrome is Jacob experiencing?

He has post-bronchiolitic syndrome. In general, viral bronchiolitis is a mild condition that is self-limiting and resolves within 10 days. However, infants with early and severe bronchiolitis, who have required hospital admission, are at significantly higher risk for recurrent wheeze. These patients have cough and wheeze lasting several weeks after acute bronchiolitis. Most eventually recover completely, but intermittent symptoms may continue for several years2. For these reasons, infants with more severe disease need close follow-up to observe for the development of recurrent wheezing. There is an ongoing debate on whether viral bronchiolitis contributes to the development of asthma or serve as a clinical marker of a genetic predisposition to asthma3.