Lactate dehydrogenase and caspase activity in nasopharyngeal secretions are predictors of bronchiolitis severity

Mehta, Reena; Scheffler, Margaret; Tapia, Lorena; Aideyan, Letisha; Patel, Kirtida D; Jewell, Alan M; Avadhanula, Vasanthi; Mei, Minghua; Garofalo, Roberto P; Piedra, Pedro A

This was a prospective, cross-sectional single-site study evaluating healthy children less than 24 months of age presenting to the emergency department (ED) or the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) with clinical bronchiolitis. Subjects were recruited from two separate and simultaneously occurring investigations (by both primary authors, RM and MS). Children were enrolled at Texas Children's Hospital from October 2010-April 2011, coinciding with the bronchiolitis season in Houston, TX. Infants with clinical bronchiolitis (wheezing and/or rales with a history of preceding upper airway illness), <24 months of age, and without significant co-morbidities were included. Patients excluded were greater than 24 months of age, had significant co-morbid medical conditions (for example, chronic lung disease, cyanotic congenital heart disease, neuromuscular disease, or immunodeficient state), were preterm (<36 weeks), or had respiratory distress unrelated to a viral URI.