Bronchiolitis: update on the management

Bronchiolitis is the main cause of lower respiratory tract infection and hospitalization during the first year of life. It may occasionally lead to respiratory failure requiring admission to an intensive care unit. Until now, supportive therapy with O 2 and hydration has been the main approach recommended by the international guidelines, while the role of pharmacological treatment is still debated. Novel therapeutic strategies, such as nebulized hypertonic saline and high-flow oxygen therapy, have been proposed in recent years. The lack of effective treatments for bronchiolitis makes prevention particularly important in reducing the impact of this disease, especially in subjects at risk (i.e. preterm infants with BPD, congenital heart disease, or immunodeficiency).