New Clinical Score for Predicting Need for Escalated Care in Infants with Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis is a common reason for emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations in infants. Using retrospective data from the international Pediatric Emergency Research Network, researchers sought to identify ED predictors of escalated care in infants less than 12 months of age with a discharge diagnosis of bronchiolitis. Of 2722 such infants, 261 (9.6%) required escalated care, defined as need for hospitalization and any of the following interventions: high-flow nasal cannula, noninvasive ventilation support, tracheal intubation and ventilation, or management in an intensive care unit setting without airway support.

In multivariable analysis, the following patient characteristics were independent predictors of need for admission …