Clinical characteristics and prognostic differences of children with acute bronchitis across different age groups.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of children with acute bronchitis in different age groups and to identify the risk factors for the development of chronic cough in these children.

METHODS

Clinical data of 290 children hospitalized for acute bronchitis at Linquan County People's Hospital from August 2022 to September 2024 were retrospectively collected. The children were categorized into three age groups: <1 year, ≥1 year and <3 years, and ≥3 years. Data collected included gender, age, home address, gestational age, birth weight, parental smoking status, symptoms such as stuffy nose, sputum, fever, peak temperature, fever duration, hospitalization duration, anemia, white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein, neutrophils (Neu), and lymphocytes. The children were further divided into a good prognosis group (n = 256) and a poor prognosis group (n = 34) based on the presence of chronic cough. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyzes were performed on all variables, and a nomogram model was constructed. The predictive ability of the model was evaluated using ROC curves.

RESULTS

Significant differences were observed among age groups in WBC and Neu levels and in the proportions of children with stuffy nose, sputum, and fever. Among the 290 children, 34 (11.7%) developed chronic cough. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, gestational age (adjusted OR [aOR], 0.385; 95% CI, 0.263-0.563), parental smoking (aOR, 2.479; 95% CI, 1.104-5.569), and anemia (aOR, 4.734; 95% CI, 1.539-14.563) were independently associated with chronic cough. The nomogram showed good discrimination, with an AUC of 0.819 (95% CI, 0.735-0.903).

CONCLUSION

The clinical characteristics and symptoms of children with acute bronchitis differ by age. Gestational age, parental smoking, and anemia were independently associated with chronic cough following acute bronchitis. The nomogram may help identify children at higher risk of chronic cough, although external validation is warranted.