Clinical characteristics and outcome of children admitted with bronchiolitis at Sally Mugabe Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Main Objective: To document clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted with bronchiolitis at the Children's Hospital, Harare March 2018 to February 2019.

Study Design: A hospital based analytical cross sectional study.

Study Setting: The study was conducted at the Children's Hospital, Sally Mugabe Hospital.

Materials and Methods: Children aged 2months to 2 years hospitalised with bronchiolitis Results: A total of 206 children were recruited. Mean age was 5.4 (SD ±4.3) months with 148 (72%) less than six months.  The male to female ratio of 1.8:1. Only 15% of the children were born preterm (85%). The main symptoms were cough (91%), rhinorrhoea (69%) and hot body (66%). Thirteen percent had a comorbid condition. Physical examination findings were mainly tachypnoea (89%) and hypoxia (83%). A severe modified Tal (mTal) score was noted in 116(56%) children at admission and 51(25%) still had a severe mTal score when repeated within 12 hours of admission. The median length of hospital stay was 4 days (IQR 3; 6) and 90(44%) children had a prolonged stay (>4 days). Only 3 (1.5%) children died. A high repeat mTal score, wasting, hypoxia and expiratory/inspiratory wheezes, were associated with a prolonged hospital stay.  (p= 0.025, p= 0.004, p=0.001, p= 0.007 respectively).

Conclusion: Majority of children admitted with bronchiolitis were less than 6 months of age. There was a male predominance. Bronchiolitis causes high morbidity but low mortality in children from this low-income setting.