Acute viral bronchiolitis (AVB) is the most common infection of the lower airways in children under 2 years of age. Attempts to determine the severity of the disease based on clinical and radiological manifestations are a major challenge. Measurements of the anatomy of the trachea, main bronchi and bronchioles are not limited to pure anthropometry, but are also useful for better knowledge and applicability in pulmonary physiology, thoracic surgery, anesthesiology and in the care of critically ill patients. This is a cross-sectional, retrospective study, which included all patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in the city of Porto Alegre, over a period of one year, with a diagnosis of AVB. The interbronchial angle (ITB) of these patients was measured and clinical and epidemiological characteristics were analyzed. A total of 425 patients were included, diagnosed with BVA by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) confirmed by immunofluorescence. Most of these patients were male (59.5%) and the median age was 130 days, 91.11% of them required oxygen therapy through a nasal catheter, 3.3% used non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and 4% mechanical ventilation (MV) . Among the studied patients, we obtained only one death (0.2%). Those who required MV or NIV and support in an intensive care unit were considered serious. The mean ITB was lower for these patients than for less severe ones. It is concluded that the ABI has a correlation with the prognosis of patients with AVB and, after further studies, can be used as a severity score.

Introduction: Asthma is a disease with important morbidity and that can lead to death in childhood. The use of intravenous magnesium sulfate has been indicated in cases refractory to the initial management with inhaled bronchodilators and corticosteroids. Objective: To evaluate the use of magnesium sulfate in continuous infusion (50mg/kg/hour in 4 hours) in children with severe acute asthma. Location: 10-bed pediatric emergency room, university hospital. Patients: Children over 2 years old who received a continuous infusion of magnesium sulfate at a dose of 50mg/kg/hour in 4 hours. Methods and main findings: Cross-sectional, prospective study. All patients with severe acute asthma were included in a study protocol. A total of 40 patients met the inclusion criteria, 60% male, with a median age of 3.0 years (2.8-4.3). All patients were monitored and followed by an emergency pediatrician during the 4 hours of infusion. There was no description of adverse events related to the magnesium sulfate. The modified Wood-Downes clinical score was applied and compared before and after the infusion and a significant clinical improvement was observed (p<0.001). The serum magnesium levels at the end of the infusion ranged from 3.3-5.8 mg/dL, suitable as therapeutic and without toxicity (median 4.0). The median length of stay in pediatric emergency was 2 days. Only 2 patients (5%) were transferred to the PICU. Conclusions: On this study, the use of continuous magnesium sulfate proved to be well tolerated, leading to improved respiratory status, and can be considered as adjunctive therapy in the management of severe asthma.