title: Epidemiological Features of Bronchiolitis in the Pediatric Clinic of Clinical center of Sarajevo University.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present the epidemiological features of bronchiolitis in a one-year period in patients of Pediatric Clinic, Clinical Centre of Sarajevo University.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Bronchiolitis is the most common respiratory infection of early infant age. The disease is one the most common reason for hospitalization of children under the age of six months. The disease is characterized by occurrences in the winter season November-March. For daily diagnosing of severe forms of bronchiolitis as a clinical syndrome, often sufficient are the knowledge of the epidemiological data, age of the patient, clinical examination and insight into the risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The history of the disease in 155 infant patients, who were clinically treated because of bronchiolitis in the period from February 2013 to February 2014 in the Department of Pediatric Pulmonary Clinic in Sarajevo was retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of patients were aged less than 6 months (87.7%). The monthly distribution of bronchiolitis had a peak in January and February. Almost 50% of patients had a risk factors for the development of severe forms of bronchiolitis out of which the most common were artificial diet (53.5%), low birth weight below 2500g (17%), prematurity (16.1%), congenital heart anomalies (14.2%), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (1.9%). 46,5% of patients were on natural nutrition. 46 patients (29.6%) were serologically or by respi-strip test in nasopharyngeal lavage positive on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). There were no patients who required mechanical ventilation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During the one-year period, bronchiolitis was the most common diagnose in the early infantile period up to 6 months, with a peak incidence in January and February. Risk factors such as prematurity, low birth weight, congenital heart anomalies and bronchopulmonary dysplasia have been less present in the studied period compared to the period before the introduction of RSV chemoprophylaxis. The epidemiological data obtained have facilitated the diagnosis, and accordingly the timely and appropriate treatment of bronchiolitis.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic of Clinical Center of Sarajevo University, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Ganimeta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bakalovic
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic of Clinical Center of Sarajevo University, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Amra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dzinovic
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Infectious Diseases of Clinical Center of Sarajevo University, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Rusmir
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baljic
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic of Clinical Center of Sarajevo University, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Selma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dizdar
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic of Clinical Center of Sarajevo University, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Amina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Selimovic
keywords: bronchiolitis; epidemiology; infant