Original Article(s)
22 May 2025

Epidemiology of acute bronchiolitis: what has changed after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic? Analysis of pre-pandemic and post-pandemic hospitalisations in a Piedmont Spoke Centre

Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
57
Views
21
Downloads

Authors

Background: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) affects the respiratory system, causing mild symptoms confined to the upper airways. The aim of this study, conducted in the Novi Ligure hospital, was to investigate the epidemiological and clinical variations in hospitalisations for RSV bronchiolitis in the pre- and post-SARS-CoV-2 pandemic periods.

Materials and Methods: all subjects referred for bronchiolitis or respiratory RSV infections to the paediatric unit in study between January 2016 and March 2023 were enrolled. Data were collected on the following SDO codes assigned to the patient at discharge. Data were collected on 208 admissions for bronchiolitis or RSV respiratory infection, with a total of 200 subjects.

Results and Conclusions: this study found that the incidence of RSV infection and overinfection in patients hospitalised for bronchiolitis has increased compared with the pre-pandemic period.

Altmetrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Borchers AT, Chang C, Gershwin ME, Gershwin LJ. Respiratory syncytial virus-a comprehensive review. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2013;45:331-79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-013-8368-9
Meissner, H.C. Viral bronchiolitis in children. N. Engl. J. Med 2016;374:62-72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1413456
Ucˇakar V, Socˇan M, Trilar KP. The impact of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus on hospitalizations for lower respiratory tract infections in young children: Slovenia, 2006–2011. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2013;7:1093-102. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/irv.12134
Vandini S, Biagi C, Lanari M. Respiratory syncytial virus: the influence of serotype and genotype variability on clinical course of infection. Int J Mol Sci 2017;18:1717. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18081717
Williams BG, Gouws E, Boschi-Pinto C, et al. Estimates of world-wide distribution of child deaths from acute respiratory infections. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2002;2:25-32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(01)00170-0
Barbati F, Moriondo M, Pisano L, et al. Epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus-related hospitalization over a 5-year period in italy: evaluation of seasonality and age distribution before vaccine introduction. Vaccines (Basel) 2020;8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8010015
Lanari M, Giovannini M, Giuffré L, et al. Prevalence of respiratory syncytial virus infection in Italian infants hospitalized for acute lower respiratory tract infections, and association between respiratory syncytial virus infection risk factors and disease severity. Pediatr Pulmonol 2002;33:458-65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.10047
Di Mattia G, Nenna R, Mancino E, et al. During the COVID-19 pandemic where has respiratory syncytialvirus gone? Pediatr Pulmonol 2021;56:3106-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.25582
Kuhdari P, Brosio F, Malaventura C, et al. Human respiratory syncytial virus and hospitalization in young children in Italy Ital J Pediatr 2018;44:50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-018-0492-y
Tahamtan A, Samadizadeh S, Rastegar M, et al. Respiratory syncytial virus infection: why does disease severity vary among individuals? Expert Rev Respir Med 2020;14:415-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17476348.2020.1724095
Schuh S, Babl FE, Dalziel SR, et al. Practice variation in acute bronchiolitis: a pediatric emergency research networks study. Pediatrics 2017;140:e20170842. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-0842
Hall CB, Weinberg GA, Iwane MK, et al. The burden of respiratory syncytial virus infection in young children. N Engl J Med 2009;360:588-98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0804877
Griffiths C, Drews SJ, Marchant DJ. Respiratory syncytial virus: infection, detection, and new options for prevention and treatment. Clin Microbiol Rev 2017;30:277-319. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.00010-16
Piedimonte G, Perez MK. Respiratory syncytial virus infection and bronchiolitis. Pediatr Rev 2014;35:519-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.35.12.519
American Academy of Pediatrics Subcommittee on Diagnosis and Management of Bronchiolitis. Diagnosis and management of bronchiolitis. Pediatrics 2006;118:1774-93.
Zorc JJ, Hall CB: Bronchiolitis: recent evidence on diagnosis and management. Pediatrics 2010;125:342-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-2092
Beggs S, Wong ZH, Kaul S, et al. High-flow nasal cannula therapy for infants with bronchiolitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2014;3:CD009609. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009609.pub2
Baraldi E, Lanari M, Manzoni P, et al. Inter-society consensus document on treatment and prevention of bronchiolitis in newborns and infants. Ital J Pediatr 2014;40:65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1824-7288-40-65
Biagi C, Scarpini S, Paleari C, et al. Impact of guidelines publication on acute bronchiolitis management: 10-year experience from a tertiary care center in Italy. Microorganisms 2021;9:2221. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9112221
Lin J, Zhang Y, Xiong L, et al. High-flow nasal cannula therapy for children with bronchiolitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Dis Child 2019;104:564-76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2018-315846
American Academy of Pediatrics Subcommittee on Diagnosis and Management of Bronchiolitis. Diagnosis and management of bronchiolitis. Pediatrics 2006;118:1774-93. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-2223
Bosis S, Esposito S, Niesters HG, et al. Role of respiratory pathogens in infants hospitalized for a first episode of wheezing and their impact on recurrences. Clin Microbiol Infect 2008;14:677-84. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-0691.2008.02016.x
Ptaschinski C, Lukacs NW. Early life respiratory syncytial virus infection and asthmatic responses. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 2019;39:309-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iac.2019.03.002
Griffiths B, Riphagen S, Lillie J. Management of severe bronchiolitis: impact of NICE guidelines. Arch Dis Child 2018;105:483-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2018-315199
Sigurs N, Aljassim F, Kjellman B, et al. Asthma and allergy patterns over 18 years after severe RSV bronchiolitis in the first year of life. Thorax 2010;65:1045-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/thx.2009.121582
Rice E, Oakes DB, Holland C, et al. Respiratory syncytial virus in children: epidemiology and clinical impact post-COVID-19. Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases 2023;36:522-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/QCO.0000000000000967
Chuang YC, Lin KP, Wang LA, et al. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on respiratory syncytial virus infection: a narrative review. Infection and Drug Resistance 2023:16:661-75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/IDR.S396434
Rotulo GA, Casalini E, Brisca G, et al. Unexpected peak of bronchiolitis requiring oxygen therapy in February 2020: could an undetected SARS-CoV2-RSV co-infection be the cause? Pediatric Pulmonology 2021;56:1803-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.25331
Haapanen M, Renko M, Artama M, Kuitunen I. The impact of the lockdown and the re-opening of schools and day cares on the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory infections in children - A nationwide register study in Finland. EClinicalMedicine 2021;34:100807. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100807

How to Cite



Epidemiology of acute bronchiolitis: what has changed after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic? Analysis of pre-pandemic and post-pandemic hospitalisations in a Piedmont Spoke Centre. (2025). Working Paper of Public Health, 13. https://doi.org/10.4081/wpph.2025.10179