Respiratory repercussions in adults with a history of infantile bronchiolitis

Viral bronchiolitis in infancy has been identified in previous studies as a potential precursor to the development of lower respiratory tract illness in later childhood and beyond. To evaluate the long-term respiratory repercussions of acute infantile viral bronchiolitis. We studied 71 individuals aged 19 to 24 years with a history of a viral bronchiolitis in infancy and 32 controls. All participants underwent the following evaluation: medical history, forced spirometry, methacholine challenge, and skin prick testing. The bronchiolitis group had a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms ( P = .03) and bronchial hyperresponsiveness ( P = .003) than controls. The bronchiolitis group also had a lower peak expiratory flow rate ( P = .02). Skin prick test responses were similar in both groups. The findings from this study support and extend those from previous studies by suggesting that viral bronchiolitis may be a predisposing factor for lower respiratory tract problems in young adulthood.