Respirosonography in infants with acute bronchiolitis
A. Tal, I. Sanchez and H. Pasterkamp
Department of Pediatrics, Ben Gurion University, Beersheba, Israel.
Respirosonography was used to analyze lung sounds and breathing patterns in
16 infants with acute bronchiolitis who were treated with nebulized
salbutamol (albuterol). Wheezing was measured as a proportion of
respiratory time (time spent wheezing [Tw]/total time [Ttot]). A decrease
of 10% or greater in Tw/Ttot or a reduction in Tw/Ttot to less than 2% was
considered a positive response to salbutamol. Seven infants responded to
the salbutamol, and nine did not. In responders, Tw/Ttot decreased from 47%
+/- 26% to 20% +/- 25% (mean +/- SD), and the respiratory rate decreased
from 65 +/- 8 to 57 +/- 7 breaths per minute. In nonresponders, mean
Tw/Ttot either did not change or increased, and there was no significant
change in respiratory rate (53 +/- 10 breaths per minute before salbutamol
inhalation and 56 +/- 9 breaths per minute after salbutamol inhalation).
Complex repetitive waveforms, different from the sinusoidal waveforms of
typical wheezing, were observed in 14 of 16 infants. Our findings add
supportive evidence to the clinical impression that some infants with
bronchiolitis respond to salbutamol. Respirosonography provides a
noninvasive method for objective clinical assessment of young, wheezy
children.
