differential diagnosis

Last reviewed 08/2021

The differential includes:

  • bronchial asthma, which responds to bronchodilators
  • congestive cardiac failure, for example caused by viral myocarditis, or by congenital heart disease
  • foreign body
  • pertussis
  • bronchopneumonia, which would make the patient febrile and toxic, but may develop secondary to bronchiolitis
  • cystic fibrosis will make a child wheeze for longer periods of time