Which of the following statements regarding diagnostic studies for bronchiolitis is CORRECT?
A. A chest x-ray should always be obtained in order to assess the patient’s risk for severe disease.
B. It is necessary to identify the causative agent of bronchiolitis in order to determine the best course of treatment.
C. Routine diagnostic testing (chest x-ray, blood work, urinalysis) is not recommended for infants with bronchiolitis.
D. Testing for bacterial infection is never warranted in infants with bronchiolitis, as there is no risk of serious bacterial infections in these patients.
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Answer: C. In the urgent care setting, acute bronchiolitis is primarily a clinical diagnosis, so routine diagnostic testing is not recommended. Treatment for bronchiolitis is not determined by the causative agent, and there is currently no outpatient antiviral medication recommended for RSV, the most common cause of bronchiolitis. However, chest radiographs may be useful if there is concern for foreign body aspiration, cardiac disease, or pneumonia as the cause of wheezing, and testing for serious bacterial infections (eg, urinary tract infections) should be considered in febrile infants aged <60 days with bronchiolitis.
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Last Updated on January 26, 2023
