Seasonal lower respiratory tract infection of young children, typically caused by RSV but can be others or mixed.

Classically wheezy cough, wheeze and/or crackles, reduced feeding and increased work of breathing.

Diagnosis

Clinical. You would probably have to do 133 Chest x-rays before you found something that would change diagnosis – overuse of CXR associated with increased (and inappropriate) use of antibiotics.

Swabbing for virus identification can help with cohorting and avoidance of nosocomial infection, which can be a major problem.

And UTI

Bacteriuria is not uncommonly seen with bronchiolitis, not always clear if this is true urine infection.

Prevention

RSV immunisation with Synagis. There’s an important story about the dangers of vaccine development.

Treatment – see here.