A Bronchiolitis Study: The Overuse of Bronchiolitis Therapies in Children Admitted into the Hospital
Bronchiolitis is prevalent among infants of 0 to 12 months, and usually caused by a variation of viruses. Signs and symptoms consist of coughing, rapid breathing, and an occasional fever in some infants. Bronchiolitis is not treated with antibiotics, but rather with proper medical examination and other procedures. Chest radiographs, steroids, and certain bronchodilators are considered ineffective treatments. This study identified the amount of ineffective procedures being used in infants admitted into the pediatric emergency room, and the effect it had on the patient’s average hospital stay. Past medical records were used in this clinical study. Statistical analyses and graphs depicted the results of ineffective procedures causing about an hour of difference in hospital stay for the patient, as well as a low amount of effective procedures in the patient visits. Parent pressure, insufficient data on the condition, or the hospital’s routine procedure could have affected the results.
Bronchiolitis, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Infant, Procedure, Biology, Health Services Research, Respiratory System
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