Clinical Predictors of Hospital Admission in Children Aged 0-24 Months with Acute Bronchiolitis

Introduction Bronchiolitis is a significant cause of acute morbidity in children less than 2 years old and some children with bronchiolitis are admitted to the hospital. In this study we aimed to identify the clinical predictors of hospital admission in children aged 0-24 months with acute bronchiolitis. Materials and Methods All children in the age group of 0-24 months presenting with acute bronchiolitis to a dedicated pediatric emergency department of GB Pant Cantonment Children Hospital, Government Medical College Srinagar, India; during April 2012 to March 2013 were included in the study, provided they met the inclusion criteria. The data was analyzed using SPSS software version 17.0. Results 763[552(72.3%) male, mean age 8.52+ 3.59 months] children (0-24 months) presented with acute bronchiolitis during the study period. 435[313 (72%) male, mean age 6.69+3.8 months] patients were admitted to the hospital. The eight best predictors of admission (age, respiratory rate, heart rate, oxygen saturation, fever, grunt, dehydration and duration of symptoms) were determined. Conclusion This study has identified clinical predictors of admission in children aged 0-24 months with acute bronchiolitis. This information can be used as a guide in deciding whether to admit a child with bronchiolitis.