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Bronchiolitis is characterized by inflammation of the small airways in the lungs, typically caused by a viral infection, most commonly respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In children, it presents with symptoms such as tachypnea, which is an increased respiratory rate, and wheezing, a high-pitched sound made while breathing due to narrowed airways. These symptoms arise because the airways become obstructed and inflamed, leading to difficulty in breathing and an increased work of breathing.

In contrast, croup usually presents with a distinctive "barking" cough and stridor, which is a sound that indicates airway obstruction higher up in the throat, rather than the wheezing that is more indicative of lower airway involvement. Pneumonia might also cause tachypnea, but it typically presents with fever, cough, and sometimes crackles on auscultation, rather than wheezing. Meningitis is primarily a neurological condition that may not present with respiratory symptoms like tachypnea or wheezing; instead, it is marked by signs such as fever, headache, neck stiffness, and altered mental status.

Thus, the presence of tachypnea and wheezing directly correlates with the pathophysiology of bronchiolitis, making