Epidemic Bronchiolitis in Infants

Abstract

Many good descriptions of epidemic bronchiolitis in infants (Hubble and Osborn, 1941; Garrow and Fawcett, 1953; Heycock and Noble, 1956) have appeared in recent years. Further articles on therapy by Morrison (1955) and by High (1957) have shown how the best modern treatment can decrease the mortality to 1%. However, its frequent very severe and sudden onset, especially in some of the younger infants, and its wide incidence still cause the death of many of these babies. In spite of advances so far made, it is true to say that we are still ignorant of the amount and frequency of secondary bacterial infection, the exact cause of death, and the cause of the condition itself.