Predictors of Unscheduled Return Visits for Bronchiolitis After Emergency Department Discharge

Children with bronchiolitis commonly are managed on an outpatient basis, but some become worse and require additional medical attention. In a prospective multicenter study of children younger than 2 years who were discharged from an emergency department (ED) with bronchiolitis during 2004–2006, investigators sought predictors of unscheduled return visits to an ED or clinic within 2 weeks for worsening symptoms.

Of 1456 patients enrolled, 722 (58%) were discharged home. Among 717 discharged patients with available data, 121 (17%) made unscheduled return visits, most (65%) within 2 days. Eighty children (11%) had unscheduled visits that resulted in changes in management, and 49 children (7%) required hospital admission. ED length of stay, medi…