Introduction:

Acute bronchiolitis is one of the most common respiratory infections in infants and children under two years of age, and is a leading cause of pediatric hospitalization.

Objective:

To describe the factors associated with severity in patients under two years of age diagnosed with bronchiolitis admitted to the Pediatric Service at the Hospital de Clínicas FCM - UNA.

Materials and Methods:

This was a retrospective, observational study with an analytical component. Patients aged 1 to 24 months hospitalized with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis between March 2023 and March 2024 were included. Sociodemographic, clinical variables, and risk factors were analyzed.

Results:

A total of 83 cases were analyzed; 60% were male, with a median age of 2 months (IQR 1-4). Eighty-one percent presented mild bronchiolitis according to the TAL scale. The median hospitalization stay was 5 days (IQR 3-6). Respiratory syncytial virus was identified in 14% of cases. Birth weight ≤2,500 g was the only factor significantly associated with severity (p<0.0001, OR 19.9, 95% CI 4.9-80.7).

Conclusions:

Bronchiolitis predominantly affected male infants younger than 3 months, with a mostly mild presentation. Low birth weight was a significant risk factor for severity.

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