Pulse Oximetry for Young Children Hospitalized with Bronchiolitis: Continuous or Intermittent?

Oxygenation saturation (SpO₂) is an important factor in length of stay for children hospitalized with bronchiolitis. Based on limited evidence, American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommend measuring SpO₂ intermittently rather than continuously for patients who are improving clinically and not requiring supplemental oxygen. To assess whether intermittent SpO₂ monitoring reduces length of stay compared with continuous monitoring, researchers randomized 161 otherwise healthy children (aged ≤24 months) hospitalized for bronchiolitis at one of four children's hospitals to receive continuous monitoring for the entire admission or intermittent monitoring when appropriate (SpO₂ >90% for at least one hour following standardized weaning of sup…