Bacterial and viral infections and wheezing in children

January 01, 0001

Bacterial and viral infections and wheezing in children

Children face a variety of respiratory pathogens, some of which may be associated with symptoms such as wheezing. These Danish and British researchers examined the association between wheezing and the presence of various pathogens in young children through a birth cohort study. They recruited children aged 4 weeks to 3 years who’s mothers had asthma, and cultured respiratory samples.

The researchers found: "984 samples (361 children) were analysed for bacteria, 844 (299 children) for viruses, and 696 (277 children) for both viruses and bacteria. Wheezy episodes were associated with both bacterial infection (odds ratio 2.9) and virus infection (2.8). The associations of bacteria and viruses were independent of each other."

The researchers concluded: "Acute wheezy episodes in young children were significantly associated with bacterial infections similar to but independent of the association with virus infections."

This study finds an equal and independent association between both bacterial and viral infections with wheezing symptoms.

For the full abstract, click here.

BMJ 341:c4978, 4 October 2010 © 2010 Bisgaard et al.
Association of bacteria and viruses with wheezy episodes in young children: prospective birth cohort study. Hans Bisgaard, Mette Northman Hermansen, Klaus Bønnelykke. Correspondence to H Bisgaard [email protected]: [email protected]

Category: R Respiratory. Keywords: wheezing, bacteria, virus, infections, children, birth cohort study, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 19 October 2010

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

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