Early warning analysis of plastic bronchitis in children and clinical study of flexible bronchoscopy / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To study the clinical characteristics and etiological distribution characteristics of plastic bronchitis in children, analyze its early warning indicators, and evaluate the clinical diagnosis and treatment effect of flexible bronchoscopy.Methods:The clinical data of 232 children with severe pneumonia admitted to Guiyang Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2019 to February 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.The children were divided into the plastic bronchitis group and non-plastic bronchitis group according to bronchoscopic results.The gender, age, clinical manifestations, auxiliary examinations, imaging features, bronchoscopy findings and treatment of the children were collected, compared and analyzed, comparison between two groups by t test and χ2 test. Results:A total of 232 children were included in this study, including 98 cases in the plastic bronchitis group and 134 cases in the non-plastic bronchitis group.The main symptoms of both groups were fever, cough and shortness of breath.The age of onset in the plastic bronchitis group was (54.640±37.085) months, and the age of onset in the non-plastic bronchitis group was (14.870±19.813) months.The difference in the age of onset between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=9.656, P<0.001). The average hospitalization days of the plastic and non-plastic bronchitis groups were (16.133±6.227) d and (12.690±4.287) d, respectively.Significant difference was found in the average hospitalization days between the two groups ( t=4.721, P<0.001). The average fever days of the plastic bronchitis group were (10.090±3.473) d, and the average fever days of the non-plastic bronchitis group were (6.030±4.850) d. There was significant difference in the average fever days between the two groups ( t=5.654, P<0.001). The age of onset, hospitalization days, and fever days of the plastic bronchitis group were larger than those of the non-plastic bronchitis group (all P<0.001). The physical examination suggested that 40% (39/98) of patients in the plastic bronchitis group had reduced the breath sounds, and this percentage was significantly higher than that in the non-plastic bronchitis group[6%(8/134)]. The plastic bronchitis group had lower partial pressure of blood oxygen (PO 2) and oxygen saturation (SO 2) levels than the non-plastic bronchitis group (all P<0.01). The plastic bronchitis group had a higher percentage of neutrophils (N), C-reactive protein (CRP) level, procalcitonin (PCT) level, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level and D-dimer level than the non-plastic bronchitis group (all P<0.01). According to the imaging results, in the plastic bronchitis group, lung consolidation was found in 72 cases (73%, 72/98), atelectasis in 32 cases (33%, 32/98), and pleural effusion in 33 cases (34%, 33/98). In the non-plastic bronchitis group, 65%(87/134) cases had lung consolidation, 5%(7/134) cases had atelectasis, 3.7% (5/134) cases had pleural effusion.The first pathogen detected in 46.9% of the patients in the plastic bronchitis group was Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP), and the percentage was significantly higher that in the non-plastic bronchitis group (11.1%). Flexible bronchoscopy was performed on both groups at their admission.The plastic bronchitis group received the flexible bronchoscopy check for (2.960±1.157) times on average, and the non-plastic bronchitis group was tested for (1.140±0.371) times on average.Of 98 children in the plastic bronchitis group, 95 cases were improved and discharged, 2 cases were transferred, and 1 case died.All 134 children in the non-plastic bronchitis group were improved and discharged. Conclusions:Preschool and school-age children, fever ≥10 d, PCT, CRP, LDH, D-dimer levels are early warning signs of plastic bronchitis clinically.MP is still the primary pathogen causing plastic bronchitis.Flexible bronchoscopy technique is a key measure for timely diagnosis and effective treatment of plastic bronchitis.