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Sometimes, no treatment is necessary. Antibiotics do not work against viral infections. Most medications do not help treat bronchiolitis.
Supportive therapy can include:
Children in the hospital may need oxygen therapy and fluids given through a vein (IV).
Rarely, antiviral medications such as ribavirin may be used to treat extremely ill children.
Usually, the symptoms get better within a week. Breathing difficulty usually gets better by the third day.
Call your health care provider immediately, or go to the emergency room if the child with bronchiolitis:
Watts KD, Goodman DM. Wheezing, bronchiolitis, and bronchitis. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 383.
American Academy of Pediatrics Subcommittee on the Diagnosis and Management of Bronchiolitis. Diagnosis and management of bronchiolitis. Pediatrics. 2006;118:1774-1793.
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