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Bronchiolitis Before and After the SARS-CoV2 Pandemic: Twelve Years of Experience in a Spanish Paediatric Hospital
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  • Fuensanta Guerrero-del-Cueto,
  • J. M. Ramos Fernandez,
  • Isabel Leiva-Gea,
  • Elena Reina-Moreno,
  • Ana Ortiz-Ortigosa,
  • Begoña Carazo-Gallego,
  • Ana Cordon,
  • David Moreno-Pérez,
  • Esmeralda Núñez-Cuadros
Fuensanta Guerrero-del-Cueto
Hospital Regional Universitario de Malaga

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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J. M. Ramos Fernandez
Hospital Regional Universitario de Malaga
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Isabel Leiva-Gea
Hospital Regional Universitario de Malaga

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Elena Reina-Moreno
Universidad de Malaga Facultad de Medicina
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Ana Ortiz-Ortigosa
Hospital Regional Universitario de Malaga
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Begoña Carazo-Gallego
Hospital Regional Universitario de Malaga
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Ana Cordon
Hospital Regional Universitario de Malaga
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David Moreno-Pérez
Hospital Regional Universitario de Malaga
Esmeralda Núñez-Cuadros
Hospital Regional Universitario de Malaga
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Abstract

Introduction: Acute bronchiolitis (AB) is the main cause of hospitalization in children under two years of age, with a regular seasonality, mostly due to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of bronchiolitis hospitalizations in our centre in the last twelve years, and analyse the changes in clinical characteristics, microbiology, and adverse outcomes during the SARS-CoV2 pandemic.
Methods: Observational study including patients admitted for bronchiolitis between April 2010 and December 2021 in a Spanish tertiary paediatric hospital. Relevant demographic, clinical, microbiological, and adverse outcome variables were collected in an anonymized database. The pandemic period (April 2020 to December 2021) was compared to 2010-2015 seasons using appropriate statistical tests.
Results: There were 2138 bronchiolitis admissions, with a mean of 195.6 per year between 2010-2019 and a 2–4-month peak between November and March. In the expected season of 2020, there was a 94.4% reduction of bronchiolitis hospitalizations, with only eleven cases admitted in the first year of the pandemic. Bronchiolitis cases increased from the summer of 2021 during a six-month long peak, reaching a total of 171 cases. Length of stay was significantly shorter during the pandemic, but no differences were found in clinical and microbiological characteristics or other adverse outcomes.
Conclusions: The SARS-CoV2 pandemic has modified the seasonality of bronchiolitis hospitalizations, with a dramatic decrease in cases during the expected season of 2020-2021, and an extemporaneous summer-autumn peak in 2021 with longer duration but similar patient characteristics and risk factors.
21 Jun 2022Submitted to Pediatric Pulmonology
21 Jun 2022Submission Checks Completed
21 Jun 2022Assigned to Editor
23 Jun 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
18 Jul 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
22 Jul 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Major
13 Oct 20221st Revision Received
20 Oct 2022Submission Checks Completed
20 Oct 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
20 Oct 2022Assigned to Editor
20 Oct 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
25 Nov 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
11 Dec 20222nd Revision Received
12 Dec 2022Assigned to Editor
12 Dec 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
12 Dec 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
12 Dec 2022Submission Checks Completed
16 Jan 2023Editorial Decision: Accept