Asthma and health-related quality of life at 16–20 years of age in a prospectively followed post-bronchiolitis cohort

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The aim was to evaluate asthma and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes in adolescents, after hospital-treated bronchiolitis experienced in less than 6 months of age. A prospective cohort study started in 2001-2004 and followed up 166 children hospitalised for bronchiolitis in early infancy. At 16-20 years of age, 76 cases and 41 population-based controls without a history of bronchiolitis participated in the current study. Clinical asthma, presumptive symptoms and HRQoL data were collected with a structured questionnaire and the St. Georges Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Flow-volume spirometry was measured before and after bronchodilator administration. Asthma was present in 21.1% of cases in the post-bronchiolitis cohort compared to 9.8% in the control group (p = 0.21). Also, 35.5% of cases and 19.5% of controls reported dyspnea during the last 12 months (p = 0.04). In addition, total SGRQ scores were higher in the bronchiolitis group (4.26) than in the control group (1.67, p < 0.001) referring to a reduced health-related quality of life. CONCLUSION: Viral bronchiolitis in early infancy was associated with increased respiratory symptoms and lower health-related quality of life at age 16-20 years. WHAT IS KNOWN: • The prevalence of asthma at the school age and adolescence is increased after hospitalisation required bronchiolitis in infancy compared to those without hospitalisation due to bronchiolitis. WHAT IS NEW: • Viral bronchiolitis requiring hospitalisation in early infancy was associated with increased respiratory symptoms, such as dyspnoea, and lower health-related quality of life at age 16-20 years in a prospectively followed post-bronchiolitis cohort.