Severe rhinovirus bronchiolitis in premature infant with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Acute bronchiolitis is an inflammatory disease of the lower respiratory tract with a predominant lesion of small bronchi and bronchioles developing in children under 2 years of age. The main etiological factor of bronchiolitis is the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the second place in the etiologic structure belongs to rhinovirus, which causes bronchiolitis usually at 6 months age. Severe bronchiolitis is characterized by the need for auxiliary or artificial lung ventilation (ALV). The main risk groups for severe bronchiolitis include premature infants with or without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), children with hemodynamically significant congenital heart defects. The article presents a clinical observation of rhinovirus bronchiolitis severe course in a preterm infant aged 4,5 months (post-conceptual age-42 weeks) with severe BPD manifesting with an apnea episode followed by the development of severe respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation accompanied by sinus tachycardia. The study demonstrates the possibility of acute bronchiolitis severe course in a premature infant with BPD, not only because of RSV infection, but with rhinovirus infection in the first half of life, which should be considered during virus examination. © 2017, Pediatria Ltd. All rights reserved.