Troubling for children and their parents, the bronchiolitis epidemic affects all of France.
It’s one of the most feared winter illnesses of parents: bronchiolitis which causes breathing difficulties in young children, has spread like wildfire in mainland France with 5,024 visits to the emergency room last week and 1,759 hospitalizations according to official figures published on Thursday 2 January.
Almost 93% of hospitalized children were less than 1 year old according to the weekly newsletter from the public health agency France.
Increase in emergency room visits in 8 regions
The agency notes that all regions are affected, including the West Indies with the exception of Saint-Barthélémy. Many hospitals are therefore faced with an influx of young patients: emergency room visits for bronchiolitis have increased in 8 metropolitan regions and decreased in only 5 regions.
This year, the epidemic comes in the context of saturation of pediatric emergency and resuscitation services in Ile-de-France. A tense situation which has given rise to transfers of children to the provinces in recent weeks. The Ministry of Health launched a mission by the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs (IGAS) in early December to try to regulate the situation in the Ile-de-France pediatric resuscitation services.
What are the right actions to treat bronchiolitis?
Very contagious, bronchiolitis is caused by a virus that affects nearly 30% of children under 2 years of age each winter. To allow babies to breathe, it is essential to clear the nasal passages. Nose washing consists of emptying a pod of physiological saline into the nostril of the infant lying on its side.
Symptoms are coughing and shortness of breath characterized by a hissing sound. It is imperative to regularly give the child water to drink to avoid dehydration and to split his meals. Care should also be taken to ventilate the accommodation well and never smoke in the presence of the baby.
Respiratory physiotherapy is no longer recommended
In November 2019, the French National Authority for Health (HAS) published new recommendations for babies under the age of one. She does not not recommend respiratory physiotherapy, hitherto widely practiced in France. Supposed to improve the child’s breathing by evacuating his secretions, these impressive manipulations have not provided scientific proof of their effectiveness in hospital according to HAS.
The Health Authority nevertheless stresses the importance of the role of physiotherapists in the surveillance and monitoring of patients, thanks to the Bronchiolitis Networks.
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