3.1, Subjects profile
Of the 55 patients hospitalized with RSV-induced respiratory tract
infections, 38 were diagnosed with acute bronchiolitis at less than two
years of age (male: female = 18: 20, median age=3 months old). All
patients were negative for COVID-19 and had no history of recurrent
wheezing and asthma. After discharge, 5 of the 38 patients were not able
to revisit our hospital due to family reasons. The comparison of data
between the acute phase and the recovery phase was thus performed for 33
subjects (males: females = 14: 19, median age=2 months old)(Figure 1).
A history of food allergy was present in 3 (9.1%) and atopic dermatitis
was reported in 2 (6.1%). On admission, a fever was present in 24
patients (72.7%) and cough in 31 patients (93.9%) (Table 1). Chest
X-ray revealed pneumonia in 8 patients (24.2%) of the patients. Chest
auscultation by a pediatric specialists showed wheezes and/or rhonchi in
all patients. Chest radiographs showed some degree of evidence of
hyperinflation in both lungs in all patients.
The median time between the first and second measurements of breath
sounds was 10 days. Chest auscultation by the pediatric specialists
revealed no respiratory adventitious sounds in any patients at the
outpatient booth.