3.3 Patients requiring MV
Notably, the number of children who required MV increased from a total of 7 patients in the
previous five seasons to 17 in the 2022-2023 season alone (p=0.001 ) reaching a rate of
5.7*100 bronchiolitis (Figure 2 ).
Table 2 shows the details of the children who required invasive respiratory support. The
median age was 54 days (IQR 25-66). Fourteen (82%) were RSV-positive. Two had viral coinfections: Influenza A virus in one case and Influenza A and Coronavirus OC43 in another.
Three (18%) had comorbidities, including prematurity (33 weeks GA), and congenital diseases (Goldenhar syndrome and trisomy 18). Fourteen patients (82%) were diagnosed with pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (pARDS) according to the PALICC-2 criteria [13], seven (41%) required inotropes, and one (6%) ECMO.
Severe complications were observed: 2 children (12%) developed pneumothorax and
needed chest tube placement and one (6%) developed post-extubation subglottic stenosis
requiring re-intubation and balloon dilation. Three (17%) patients had sepsis, six (35%)
needed pharmacological intervention for prolonged hypertension after respiratory weaning
and eight (47%) required red blood cell transfusions.
The median duration of MV was 10 days (IQR 7-13.5), and the median length of stay was 22,7 days (IQR 27-37). No deaths were recorded.