Comparison of Conventional Treatment Along With Prednisolone and Conventional Treatment Alone in Bronchiolitis

Abstract

Objective: To compare the efficacy of prednisolone as an adjunct to conventional treatment or conventional treatment alone in patients of bronchiolitis. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Place and Duration of Study: Pediatric medicine department Allied Hospital Faisalabad, six months from August 2013 to January 2014. Methodology: Eighty patients of acute bronchiolitis, aged 3months to 2 years presenting in pediatric emergency were enrolled for study. Patients were divided into groups A and B each consisting of 40 patients. Group A received oral prednisolone 2mg/kg/day in three divided doses with conventional treatment while group B was given conventional therapy only. Frequency and percentages were calculated for gender while mean and standard deviation was calculated for age and days of hospitalizationEfficacy was measured after 72hr of treatment by observing persistence of rhonchi in both groups. Chi-square test was applied with significance at <0.05 to compare the efficacy. Results: The mean age of patients in group A was 13.78± 6.53 months and in group B it was 14.8±5.19 months. There were 46(57.5%) male and 34 (33.5%) female patients. In group B, 27(67.5%) patients were having rhonchi on third day of admission as compared to only 9 (22.5%) patients in group A who were having ronchi. Hospital stay was more than 3 days in both groups. Mean hospital stay in experimental group was 4.72±1.17 days while in control group it was 5.72±1.5 days. Conclusion: In acute bronchiolitis use of oral prednisolone with conventional therapy reduces rhonchi and decreases days of hospitalization as well.