Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Book

Bronchiolitis

In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
Affiliations
Free Books & Documents
Book

Bronchiolitis

Nathaniel A. Justice et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Bronchiolitis is a common lung infection in young individuals. The viral infection involves the lower respiratory tract and can present with signs of mild to moderate respiratory distress. The most common cause is the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Bronchiolitis is a mild, self-limited infection in the majority of children but may sometimes progress to respiratory failure in infants. Bronchiolitis is managed supportively with hydration and oxygen. No specific medications treat the infection.

It is important to know that the respiratory syncytial virus is just one cause of bronchiolitis. The infection can occur in individuals of any age, but overall, the most severe symptoms tend to be common in infants.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Nathaniel Justice declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Jacqueline Le declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

    1. Polack FP, Stein RT, Custovic A. The Syndrome We Agreed to Call Bronchiolitis. J Infect Dis. 2019 Jun 19;220(2):184-186. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Jo YM, Kim J, Chang J. Vaccine containing G protein fragment and recombinant baculovirus expressing M2 protein induces protective immunity to respiratory syncytial virus. Clin Exp Vaccine Res. 2019 Jan;8(1):43-53. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Oz-Alcalay L, Ashkenazi S, Glatman-Freedman A, Weisman-Demri S, Lowenthal A, Livni G. Hospitalization for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis in the Palivizumab Prophylaxis Era: Need for Reconsideration of Preventive Timing and Eligibility. Isr Med Assoc J. 2019 Feb;21(2):110-115. - PubMed
    1. Soudani N, Caniza MA, Assaf-Casals A, Shaker R, Lteif M, Su Y, Tang L, Akel I, Muwakkit S, Chmaisse A, Homsi M, Dbaibo G, Zaraket H. Prevalence and characteristics of acute respiratory virus infections in pediatric cancer patients. J Med Virol. 2019 Jul;91(7):1191-1201. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Supino MC, Buonsenso D, Scateni S, Scialanga B, Mesturino MA, Bock C, Chiaretti A, Giglioni E, Reale A, Musolino AM. Point-of-care lung ultrasound in infants with bronchiolitis in the pediatric emergency department: a prospective study. Eur J Pediatr. 2019 May;178(5):623-632. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources