Bronchiolitis

What is bronchiolitis?

Children most often get this disease between 6 months and 2 years of age. If your child has bronchiolitis:

• Your child may wheeze (make a high-pitched whistling sound when breathing).
• Your child may breathe rapidly (over 40 breaths per minute).
• Your child may have a cough and cough up a very sticky mucus.

A virus narrows the small airways of the lungs (the bronchioles.) This causes your child to wheeze. Your child may get an ear infection too. A few children may need to stay in the hospital.

How can I take care of my child?

• It may help to give your child asthma-type medicine. About 1/3 of children with bronchiolitis are helped by asthma medicines. Your child's medicine is _________________. Give _____ every ____ hours. Keep up with the medicine until your child does not wheeze for 24 hours. If your child has a high fever, give acetaminophen (Tylenol) every 4 to 6 hours or ibuprofen (Advil) every 6 to 8 hours. No aspirin.
• Use a humidifier. Moist air can help. Dry air tends to make coughs worse.
• Make sure your child's nose is not blocked up. If the nose is blocked up, your child will not be able to drink from a bottle or breast-feed. Put three drops of warm water or saline in each nostril. After about 1 minute, use a soft rubber suction bulb to suck out the mucus.
• Make sure your child drinks enough fluids.

Call your child's doctor right away if:

• Your child has a hard time breathing.
• The wheezing gets very bad.
• Your child is breathing faster than 60 breaths per minute.
• Your child is acting very sick.

Call your child's doctor within 24 hours if:

• Any fever lasts more than 3 days.
• You have any other questions or concerns.