Procedures
Medical records of all patients accepted to the emergency department
were reviewed. We collected the following variables: age, sex, weight,
height, signs, and symptoms on admission (including fever, chest
in-drawing, chest auscultation, %SpO2), vaccination scheduled chart for
age, current exposure (maternal or paternal) to cigarette smoking,
history of prematurity and bronchopulmonary dysplasia confirmed by a
neonatologist upon discharge from NICU, comorbidities (congenital heart
disease, neurological disease), diagnostic tools such as chest X-rays,
etc. In our hospitals, bronchodilators and systemic steroids are used at
the discretion of attending physicians according to national clinical
bronchiolitis guidelines(9). Nasopharyngeal aspirate was taken
immediately upon admission to the emergency department within 48 hours
of admission using a standard technique. RSV was confirmed using direct
immunofluorescence (Light Diagnostics TM Respiratory Panel 1 DFA,
Merck-Millipore Laboratory).