title: Recurrent wheezing 36 months after bronchiolitis is associated with rhinovirus infections and blood eosinophilia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Links between respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis and asthma are well known, but few studies have dealt with wheezing following bronchiolitis induced by other viruses. We assessed the risk factors for recurrent wheezing in infants hospitalised for acute viral bronchiolitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We followed 313 infants for three years after they were hospitalised for bronchiolitis, caused by 14 different viruses, to identify risk factors for recurrent wheezing. Parents provided feedback on wheezing episodes during telephone interviews 12 (n = 266), 24 (n = 242) and 36 (n = 230) months after hospitalisation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of wheezing episodes diminished during the follow-up period: 137 children (51.7%) at 12 months, 117 (48.3%) at 24 months and 93 (40.4%) at 36 months. The risk of wheeze after three years was OR = 7.2 (95% CI 3.9-13.3) if they had episodes of wheezing during the first year after bronchiolitis, 16.8 (8.7-32.7) if they had episodes of wheezing during the second year and 55.0 (22.7-133.2) if they wheezed during both years. Blood eosinophils >400 cells/μL (OR 7.7; CI 1.4-41.8) and rhinovirus infections (3.1; 1.0-9.4) were the major risk factors for recurrent wheezing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recurrent wheezing 36 months after infant bronchiolitis was associated with rhinoviruses and blood eosinophilia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Midulla
authors.forename: Ambra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nicolai
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pierangeli
authors.forename: Enea
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonci
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scagnolari
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Antonelli
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papoff
mesh_terms: D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000150:complications*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology*; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000150:complications; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses; D012229:Rhinovirus
keywords: Asthma; Blood eosinophilia; Bronchiolitis; Rhinoviruses; Wheeze