Speech-Language Therapy Intervention in Children with Acute Viral Bronchiolitis during Hospitalization

Introduction: Acute viral bronchiolitis is characterized by being the first episode of lower airways in children younger than 1 year old, with features such as increased respiratory rate and fatigue while feeding , causing the admissions disease.

Objectives: Report Speech-Language therapy in children with acute viral bronchiolitis.

Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study that evaluated medical records of 24 children with acute viral bronchiolitis in a children’s hospital , from March to December 2013.

Results: Among the 24 children, 50% received direct speech-language therapy in sensorial motor stimulation and 50% were evaluated and counseled on feeding, positioning, and sucking rhythm. Among patients receiving guidance, 75% were discharged with oral feeding. Among the patients who required intervention, 50% were discharged with oral, with 33.3 and 16.6% nasal enteric probe with oral probe. Patients received stimulation with direct intervention of nonnutritive sucking, and 41.6% with pacifiers, 33.3% pacifier and with a gloved finger, and 25% with just the gloved finger.

Conclusion: The study shows that the speech-language intervention in cases of acute viral bronchiolitis is performed in children with higher risk for food, which eventually discharged with alternative feeding. Note the importance of speech-language evaluation to restore power as safely and efficiently for the patient. From this study on new forms of speech-language therapy may be studied, aiming at rehabilitation of power more effectively.

Keywords: Acute viral bronchiolitis, intervention, speech-language therapy.