Bronchiolitis, Bronchiolitis Acute Viral
Conditions
Keywords
Acute Lower Respiratory Infections (ALRI), Pediatric Respiratory Infections, Clinical Variability, Propensity Score Matching
Brief summary
Medical practice variability refers to differences in treatment and clinical outcomes that cannot be solely explained by patient characteristics or medical conditions. This variability can lead to inconsistent outcomes, especially in complex environments like pediatric inpatient wards. Standardization of care protocols is proposed as a way to reduce this inconsistency.
Detailed description
Medical practice variability refers to differences in treatment and clinical outcomes that cannot be solely explained by patient characteristics or medical conditions. This variability can lead to inconsistent outcomes, especially in complex environments like pediatric inpatient wards. Standardization of care protocols is proposed as a way to reduce this inconsistency. One key area of variability is the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory infections, particularly distinguishing bacterial from viral bronchial infections. Due to the lack of definitive clinical criteria, there is widespread antibiotic use (65-80% of cases), despite ongoing debate about their effectiveness. Implementing standardized management protocols in pediatric wards aims to reduce such variability and improve clinical outcomes. This study will attempt to measure variability in outcomes based on treatment variables, identifying sources of medical variability and their impact.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
Hospital General de Niños Pedro de Elizalde
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
RETROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
1 Months to 24 Months
Inclusion criteria
Children under 2 years hospitalized with LARI in general pediatric wards during the winter months (June-September) of 2025 and 2026 in Buenos Aires
Exclusion criteria
Intensive care admission on entry Presence of comorbidities: congenital heart disease. Chronic respiratory conditions, neuromuscular diseases, immunodeficiencies,. Prolonged previous hospitalizations for unrelated causes Severe disabilities influencing hospitalization duration.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Variability in the treatment:Length of Hospital Stay | 2 years | * Definition: Total number of full calendar days from admission to pediatric ward until medical discharge. * Measurement: Recorded in patient's medical record. Calculated as discharge date - admission date. * Type of Variable: Continuous (days). * Analysis: Mean/median days compared between groups after Propensity Score Matching. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Explore Clinical outcomes | 2 years | * Definition: Incidence of adverse events during hospitalization, including nosocomial infections, escalation to ICU, or other significant medical complications. * Measurement: Categorical (Yes/No for each complication) documented in medical record with onset and resolution dates. * Type of Variable: Binary for each event; total count of events per patient can also be analyzed. * Analysis: Proportion of patients experiencing ≥1 complication compared between groups after Propensity Score Matching. |
Countries
Argentina
Outcome results
None listed