Evaluating the Effect of Vitamin A on Persistent Wheezing in Infants with Bronchiolitis in Southern Iran in 2018

Abstract

Background: Bronchiolitis is a viral infection that causes the airways (bronchioles) in the lungs to become narrow, which makes breathing difficult. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamin A on persistent wheezing in infants with bronchiolitis. Methods: This study was performed on 60 infants with bronchiolitis who were randomly divided into two equal groups (n = 30) of intervention (receiving 5000 units per kg of vitamin A injection) and control. The severity of wheezing and retraction and number of breaths in the patients were recorded. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U test, and t-test were used to compare the data. Results: Our study showed that 6.7% of infants in the control group had severe wheezing during the discharge, while no wheezing was reported in the intervention group. Also, the rate of moderate wheezing in the control and intervention groups was 40% and 10%, respectively (P = 0.006). Two weeks after treatment, the moderate wheezing frequency in the control group was 30%, but no wheezing was recorded in the intervention group, which was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusions: In this study, administration of vitamin A significantly reduced the severity of wheezing in patients with bronchiolitis. Accordingly, it is recommended that vitamin A along with other treatments, be prescribed for all infants with symptoms of bronchiolitis.