Research Article: Nasal CPAP in the Pediatric Ward to Reduce PICU Admissions for Severe Bronchiolitis?
Abstract:
In treating acute bronchiolitis in infants, the decision to use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) often involves infant referral from the pediatric ward to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). We present our experience of CPAP use in a general pediatric ward, aiming to reduce the pressure on the PICU in recent outbreaks of bronchiolitis. Clinical data of patients less than 12 months of age and admitted for bronchiolitis from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2023 were retrospectively collected. Of 82 infants admitted for bronchiolitis, 16 (19%) were treated with nasal CPAP (nCPAP group); of the remaining 66, 21 (26%) were treated with a low-flow nasal cannula (LFNC) only, 1 (1%) was also treated a with high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), 12 (15%) were treated with an HFNC only, and 41 (50%) were treated without oxygen support (no-nCPAP group). Overall, coinfection with RSV and SARS-CoV-2 was observed in three patients and SARS-CoV-2 infection was observed in two patients. None of them required any type of oxygen support. Only 3/16 (19%) infants in the nCPAP group were referred to the PICU due to worsening clinical conditions despite nCPAP support. In our experience of treating epidemic bronchiolitis, nCPAP can be safely managed in a general pediatric ward, thus reducing the burden of admissions to the PICU. Training and regular updating of the pediatric staff, careful monitoring of the patient, and close cooperation with the PICU were instrumental for our team.
Introduction:
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemics typically follow a seasonal pattern, peaking in December and January [1]. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted RSV seasonality, and recent, post-pandemic epidemics of bronchiolitis have raised serious clinical and organizational problems in many regions of the world [2]. In the autumn and winter seasons of 2021–2022 and 2022–2023, an anticipation of the epidemic peaks of infection and an increased case number have been observed, probably secondary to the “immunological debt”…
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