Non-invasive ventilation for severe bronchiolitis: analysis and evidence.

Objectives: (1) To examine whether infants with severe bronchiolitis, fulfilling criteria for further respiratory support, could be managed outside a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with non-invasive ventilation (NIV) alone. (2) To study the characteristics, clinical course and outcome of NIV responders and non responders to assess safety and efficacy and inform guideline construction.
Hypothesis: Infants with severe bronchiolitis can be safely managed with NIV outside a PICU.
Study Design: Retrospective case review.
Patient Selection: Cohort of infants with objective evidence of severe bronchiolitis requiring respiratory support nursed in a Pediatric High Dependency Unit (PHDU) and/or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) between 2001 and 2007.
Methodology: Analysis of patient characteristics and respiratory parameters at admission and initiation of ventilation, changes after 2 and 4 hr of NIV or invasive ventilation, complications, short and long-term outcomes were analyzed.
Results: One thousand and thirty-five infants with bronchiolitis were admitted with 67 ventilation episodes identified from 65 patients. Fifty-five episodes, including 34 with apnea, were treated exclusively with NIV. Six infants failed to respond and were invasively ventilated. Six patients were invasively ventilated at presentation. Non-responders had a significantly higher rate of bacterial infection. Significant improvements in respiratory parameters in responders occurred by 2 hr and sustained at 4 hr. Duration of hospital stay, ventilation requirement and oxygen requirement were significantly shorter in responders. Short and longer-term follow up data did not identify any adverse effects related to NIV.
Conclusions: NIV was effective in 80% of infants receiving respiratory support for severe bronchiolitis.
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