Predicting Factors of Bronchiolitis in Children Admitted to P. I.C.U At the Jala Children's Hospital, Tripoli, Libya

Marwa EL Hashemi Sasi ¹*, Faraj Abdussalam Ahamed ² and Aisha Areaby Sehri³

¹University Hospital, Tripoli, Libya
²Consultant Pediatrician, University Hospital, Tripoli, Libya
³Faculty of Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya

*Corresponding Author: Marwa EL Hashemi Sasi, University Hospital, Tripoli, Libya.

Received: October 23, 2025; Published: December 10, 2025

Abstract

Introduction: Bronchiolitis is a common lower respiratory tract infection among young children during their first 2 years of life, usually caused by viral etiology, with high morbidity, hospital admissions, healthcare costs, but low mortality.

Aim of study: To know the predictors of admission of patients with bronchiolitis to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Methods: A retrospective study reviewed all identified children's files diagnosis as bronchiolitis from 1st October 2018 to 31th March of 2019 at the Jala Children's Hospital, Tripoli, Libya, using a structured questionnaire were assessed patient's demographic characteristics, clinical and laboratory data. Regular usual word versus ICU admissions were compared.

Results: Ninety patients were identified. The median age was 62.5 days (IQR 45-120 days), 62.2% were male, and 60% were admitted to regular ward and 40% were in ICU. The characteristics of ICU admission were as followed; formula feeding (72.2% vs. 22.2%); (p = 0.015), rapid respiratory rate (65.5 ± 6.78VS 55. 53.5+7.75 breaths/min; p = 0.000), low oxygen saturation SPO2 (86.6 ± 5.98VS 93.1 ± 3.71; p = 0.012). Other factors like age, gender, family history of asthma, eczema, birth weight, heart rate, and chest X-ray findings were not significantly associated with P.ICU admission.

Conclusion: The predictors factors of P.I.C.U admission were: formula feeding, respiratory rate, and room air oxygen saturation. There is a dire need for guidelines and protocol for ICU admission in the emergency department of our hospital.

Keywords: Bronchiolitis; Children; Morbidity

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Citation

Citation: Marwa EL Hashemi Sasi., et al. “Predicting Factors of Bronchiolitis in Children Admitted to P. I.C.U At the Jala Children's Hospital, Tripoli, Libya".Acta Scientific Paediatrics 9.1 (2026): 03-05.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Marwa EL Hashemi Sasi., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.