Clinical features and nature of acute bronchitis in preschool children in combination with and without euthyroid sick syndrome

Abstract

Acute bronchitis is a common disease in children. During inflammation, including the respiratory tract, the pituitary gland and thyroid gland are involved in the process, on the response of which the body's protective and adaptive stability depends. Therefore, the adequacy of the functioning of these organs depends on the nature of the course of acute infectious diseases, including acute bronchitis. Thus, children with this disease often develop a euthyroid sick syndrome, which manifests itself most often in the form of «low T3 syndrome».

Purpose — to study the clinical features of acute bronchitis in preschool children in combination with euthyroid sick syndrome and without it.

Materials and methods. 135 children of preschool age (from 3 to 6 years), patients with acute bronchitis (main group) and 28 healthy children (control group) were examined. All patients in the main group were divided into two. The first group consisted of children with acute bronchitis (92 children), and the second group — patients with acute bronchitis in combination with euthyroid sick syndrome (43 children). Clinical and anamnestic (collection of complaints, anamnesis of disease and life, physical examination) research methods were used.

Results. It was found that in patients with acute bronchitis with signs of euthyroid sick syndrome, a greater number of cases of prolonged neonatal jaundice, perinatal CNS lesions and births weighing less than 2800 g were found. The leading clinical syndromes in patients with acute bronchitis were intoxication, catarrhal and hyperthermic. General weakness was the main symptom of intoxication syndrome in children with acute bronchitis without signs of euthyroid syndrome, while anxiety was more common in children of group II. The main symptom of catarrhal syndrome was a daytime dry cough. Hyperthermic syndrome was significantly more common with fever. Hectic body temperature was found in most children with acute bronchitis in combination with euthyroid sick syndrome than without it. Children who showed signs of euthyroid sick syndrome were ill for longer.

Conclusions. Patients with acute bronchitis combined with euthyroid sick syndrome generally have a more severe history of life and disease, more severe acute bronchitis than patients without abnormalities in hormonal status.

The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local ethics committee of all participating institutions. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies.

No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.