Vladimír Zoľák, Barbora Zoľáková, Marika Janíková, Marian Fedor, Slavomír Nosáľ
Bronchiolitis, a disease primarily of the first 2 years of life characterized by signs and symptoms of obstructive airway
disease, is caused most commonly by viruses – respiratory syntitial virus, rhinovirus and parainfluenza virus. Approximately
2 % to 3 % of infants in the first 12 months of life are hospitalized with bronchiolitis. During last 30 years the
number of yearly hospital admissions attributable to bronchiolitis increased more than twofold. Risk factors associated
with severe disease are age less than 12 weeks, a history of prematurity, hemodynamically significant cardiovascular
diseases and immunodeficiency. Acute bronchiolitis is a clinical diagnosis based on history and physical examination;
laboratory and radiologic studies should not be routinely ordered for diagnosis. In first part of paper authors describe
etiology, pathophysiology, risk factors and diagnosis of bronchiolitis in children.