Impact of bacteria in nasal aspirates on disease severity of bronchiolitis

Background: The effect of potentially pathogenic bacteria (PPB) on disease severity in patients with bronchiolitis is understudied. Methods: This prospective study was carried out in the Children's Hospital of Soochow University during the 2012-2013 autumn and winter seasons. We enrolled consecutive children < 2 years of age hospitalized with an attending physician's diagnosis of bronchiolitis. Nasopharyngeal aspirate samples were tested for multiple respiratory viruses and cultured for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Staphylococcus aureus. Results: In all, 30% (188 patients) were positive for Strep. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, M. catarrhalis, and Staph. aureus. Length of stay (LOS) for patients with PPB was 4.0 days (interquartile range, IQR, 25th-75th percentile: 3.0-6.0 days) versus 3.0 days (IQR, 3.0-5.0 days) for patients without PPB (p < 0.001). However, requirement and duration of supplemental oxygen were not significantly different between the two groups. H. influenzae was an independent risk factor for hospital LOS 5.0 days (adjusted odds ratio, 1.75; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-2.91). The presence of PPB was not associated with increased risk of supplemental oxygen requirement. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that pediatricians should evaluate for PPB in patients with bronchiolitis, especially when they present with RSV infection, fever or percentage of neutrophils > 40%. The presence of H. influenzae in nasal aspirates is associated with longer LOS in patients with bronchiolitis.