A Comparative Study on RSV and Non-RSV Bronchiolitis Admitted in A Tertiary Care Center in a Low-Income Country

Abstract

Background: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the most common organism causing bronchiolitis. Comparative evaluation of RSV and non-RSV bronchiolitis is essential to guide clinical management, optimize resource utilization, and inform preventive strategies.

Materials and methods: From October 2022 to March 2023, this prospective study was conducted in the Pediatrics Department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Chattogram. The demographic characteristics and clinical features of Ninety-two children younger than two years were noted by predesigned questionnaire. The mean and standard deviation were used to express the demographic data. Chi-square analysis was used to examine differences in group proportions.

Results: RSV antigen positivity was detected in 45.7% of the 92 cases, with a mean age of 4.18±3.08 months. Severe bronchiolitis cases were more common (22.8%) among antigen positive cases and had the longest hospital stay. During the months of November (42.4%) and December (29.3%), RSV infection levels peaked. This study describes that during the seasonal epidemics, RSV was the main concern, as the number of positive cases decreased in the months that followed. The signs and symptoms of RSV positive and negative cases were not significantly different.

Conclusion: In children with bronchiolitis, clinical presentation and severity of disease didn’t differ between RSV and non-RSV infections but RSV was the main contributor to epidemic outbreak

JCMCTA 2026 ; 37 (1) : 84-90