Hospitalisation costs for infant bronchiolitis are up to 20 times higher if intensive care is needed

Nasal CPAP in the Pediatric Ward to Reduce PICU Admissions for Severe Bronchiolitis?

In treating acute bronchiolitis in infants, the decision to use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) often involves infant referral from the pediatric ward to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). We present our experience of CPAP use in a general pediatric ward, aiming to reduce the pressure on the PICU in recent outbreaks of bronchiolitis. Clinical data of patients less than 12 months of age and admitted for bronchiolitis from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2023 were retrospectively collected. Of 82 infants admitted for bronchiolitis, 16 (19%) were treated with nasal CPAP (nCPAP group); of the remaining 66, 21 (26%) were treated with a low-flow nasal cannula (LFNC) only, 1 (1%) was also treated a with high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), 12 (15%) were treated with an HFNC only, and 41 (50%) were treated without oxygen support (no-nCPAP group). Overall, coinfection with RSV and SARS-CoV-2 was observed in three patients and SARS-CoV-2 infection was observed in two patients. None of them required any type of oxygen support. Only 3/16 (19%) infants in the nCPAP group were referred to the PICU due to worsening clinical conditions despite nCPAP support. In our experience of treating epidemic bronchiolitis, nCPAP can be safely managed in a general pediatric ward, thus reducing the burden of admissions to the PICU. Training and regular updating of the pediatric staff, careful monitoring of the patient, and close cooperation with the PICU were instrumental for our team.

Hospitalization for bronchiolitis in children aged ≤ 1year, Southern Italy, year 2021: need for new preventive strategies?

BACKGROUND

Bronchiolitis is a major cause of hospitalization in infants, particularly in the first six months of life, with approximately 60-80% of admissions due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. Currently, no prophylactic options are available for healthy infants. The present study aimed at describing the demographic, clinical, and epidemiological characteristics of infants hospitalized for bronchiolitis in the Apulia region of Italy in 2021.

METHODS

From January to December 2021, data on children aged 0-12 months admitted for bronchiolitis in nine neonatal or pediatric units covering 61% of pediatric beds of hospitals in the Apulia region of Italy were analyzed. Demographic data, comorbidities, need for oxygen support, length of hospital stay, palivizumab administration, and outcomes were collected. For the purpose of the analysis, patients were divided into those aged 0-3 months and > 3 months. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to explore associations between the need for oxygen support and sex, age, comorbidities, history of prematurity, length of hospital stay, and palivizumab administration.

RESULTS

This study included 349 children aged 0-12 months admitted for bronchiolitis, with a peak of hospitalization in November (7.4 cases/1,000 children). Of these patients, 70.5% were RSV positive, 80.2% were aged 0-3 months, and 73.1% required oxygen support. Moreover, 34.9% required observation in the sub-intensive care unit, and 12.9% in the intensive care unit. Of the infants who required intensive care, 96.9% were aged 0-3 months and 78.8% were born at term. Three patients required mechanical ventilation and one, who required Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation, died. Children aged 0-3 months were more likely to show dyspnea, need oxygen support, and have a longer hospital stay.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study showed that almost all of the children who required intensive care support were aged ≤ 3 months and most were born at term. Therefore, this age group remains the highest risk group for severe bronchiolitis. Preventive measures such as single-dose monoclonal antibody immunoprophylaxis, and maternal and childhood vaccination against RSV, may reduce the high public health burden of bronchiolitis.

Twenty-one-year follow-up revealed guideline-concordant and non-concordant trends in intensive care of bronchiolitis

To evaluate the management of bronchiolitis in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) before and after publication of the national bronchiolitis guidelines in June 2015. All infants treated between 2016-2020 for bronchiolitis in the PICU of Tampere University Hospital at < 12 months of age were included. The data were retrospectively collected from electronic patient records. The current results reflecting the post-guideline era were compared with previously published results for the pre-guideline 2000-2015 period. These two studies used identical protocols. Forty-six infants treated in the PICU were included. During the post-guideline era, inhaled adrenaline was given to 26 (57%), salbutamol to 7 (15%), and hypertonic saline inhalations to 35 (75%) patients. Forty-three patients (94%) received high-flow oxygen therapy (HFOT). Seventeen patients (37%) were treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and 4 (9%) with mechanical ventilation.

CONCLUSION

When post-guideline years were compared with pre-guideline years, the use of bronchodilators decreased in agreement, but the use of inhaled saline increased in disagreement with the guidelines. The use of respiratory support increased, evidently because of an introduction of the non-invasive HFOT treatment modality.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Oxygen supplementation and respiratory support, when needed, are the cornerstones of bronchiolitis treatment. • Medicines are frequently given to infants with bronchiolitis, especially if intensive care is needed, although evidence of their effectiveness is lacking.

WHAT IS NEW

• Nearly all (94%) infants who needed intensive care were treated with HFOT and 37% with nasal CPAP, and finally, only 9% were intubated, which reflects the effectiveness of non-invasive techniques. • When pre- and post-guideline eras were compared, use of racemic adrenaline decreased from 84 to 57%, but use of hypertonic saline increased up to 75%, which disagrees with the current guidelines.

Changes in Bronchiolitis Incidence During the Last Two Decades in Tampere, Finland: A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

Bronchiolitis, a lower respiratory tract infection, causes a remarkable number of hospitalizations globally. The epidemiology follows the same pattern as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the most common pathogen in bronchiolitis. Epidemics have typically followed a biannual pattern in Nordic countries-first, a small epidemic during spring, followed by a higher peak the next autumn. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the incidence of bronchiolitis hospitalization has changed during the last 2 decades in Tampere, Finland.

METHODS

In this retrospective register-based study, data on infants &lt;12 months of age hospitalized with bronchiolitis in 2000-2019 were collected from electronic files of Tampere University Hospital and analyzed by monthly incidences. Additionally, data on RSV incidences were collected from the Finnish National Infectious Diseases Register for children &lt;5 years of age and living in the study area. Poisson's regression analysis was used to evaluate changes in the incidence rates of bronchiolitis.

RESULTS

Of the 1481 infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis, 82.0% had a diagnosis of RSV bronchiolitis. At first, bronchiolitis' epidemiological pattern followed its typical biannual pattern, then shifted to annual in the middle of the study period, and thereafter occurred biannually again. The highest incidence rate ratios compared to the low-incidence months were between December (22.5), January (25.8) and February (25.5) in 2000-2006, and between February (24.7), March (25.1) and April (21.0) in 2007-2019.

CONCLUSIONS

The epidemiological pattern of bronchiolitis changed during the study period; incidence peaks were higher and have shifted toward spring in recent years.

Families' costs form a considerable part of total costs in bronchiolitis care

Background and aim

The burden of bronchiolitis is remarkable due to high morbidity in infants. The aim of this study was to evaluate bronchiolitis-associated costs for patients' families and the healthcare system.

Methods

This retrospective, descriptive study included 136 infants under 12 months of age treated at Tampere University Hospital, Finland, between October 1, 2018 and March 31, 2020, with bronchiolitis as the main diagnosis. The data consists of patient background and medical information and of estimated costs for the families and for the healthcare system. The data were collected from the hospital's electronic patient files and registries and were analyzed with descriptive statistical analyzes using SPSS v. 26 software.

Results

The total median costs associated with bronchiolitis from the perspective of families and healthcare were €16,205 per patient if intensive care was needed and €2266 per patient treated only on the ward. The median costs for the families were €461 and €244, respectively, and for the healthcare system, they were €15,644 and €2019.

Conclusion

The majority of the total costs for treatment were due to healthcare costs and only 10% of costs were targeted at families. Bronchiolitis-associated total median costs were 7.2 times higher and the families' costs were 1.9 times higher if intensive care was needed instead of treatment on the ward only.

Hospital Charges Associated With Critical Bronchiolitis From 2009 to 2019

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the contribution of PICU care to increasing hospital charges for patients with bronchiolitis over a 10-year study period.

DESIGN

In this retrospective multicenter study, changes in annual hospital charges (adjusted for inflation) were analyzed using linear regression for subjects admitted to the PICU with invasive mechanical ventilation (PICU + IMV) and without IMV (PICU - IMV), and for children not requiring PICU care.

SETTING

Free-standing children's hospitals contributing to the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database.

SUBJECTS

Children less than 2 years with bronchiolitis discharged from a PHIS hospital between July 2009 and June 2019. Subjects were categorized as high risk if they were born prematurely or had a chronic complex condition.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

PICU patients were 26.5% of the 283,006 included subjects but accrued 66% of the total $14.83 billion in charges. Annual charges increased from $1.01 billion in 2009-2010 to $2.07 billion in 2018-2019, and PICU patients accounted for 83% of this increase. PICU + IMV patients were 22% of all PICU patients and accrued 64% of all PICU charges, but PICU - IMV patients without a high-risk condition had the highest relative increase in annual charges, increasing from $76.7 million in 2009-2010 to $377.9 million in 2018-2019 (374% increase, ptrend < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In a multicenter cohort study of children hospitalized with bronchiolitis, PICU patients, especially low-risk children without the need for IMV, were the highest driver of increased hospital charges over a 10-year study period.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis in Infancy: The Acute Hospitalization Cost

Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis is among the leading causes of hospitalization in infants. Prophylaxis with palivizumab may reduce RSV infection, but its prescription is restricted to high-risk groups. The aim of the study is to retrospectively determine acute hospitalization costs of bronchiolitis. Materials and methods: Infants aged 1 month-1 year, admitted to Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Rome, Italy, with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis from January 1 till December 31, 2017, were included in the study. Results: A total of 531 patients were enrolled in the study, and the mean age was 78.75 days. The main etiologic agent causing bronchiolitis was RSV, accounting for 58.38% of infections. The total cost of bronchiolitis hospitalization was 2,958,786 euros. The mean cost per patient was significantly higher in the case of RSV (5,753.43 ± 2,041.62 euros) compared to other etiology (5,395.15 ± 2,040.87 euros) (p = 0.04). Discussion: The study confirms the high hospitalization cost associated with bronchiolitis. In detail, in the case of RSV etiology, the cost was higher compared to other etiology, which is likely due to the longer hospitalization and the more frequent admission to the intensive cure department. Conclusion: This study highlights that bronchiolitis is an important cost item even in a tertiary hospital and that cost-effective interventions targeting RSV are increasingly urgent.

Direct medical costs of RSV-related bronchiolitis hospitalizations in a middle-income tropical country

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

With the objective of making informed decisions on resource allocation, there is a critical need for studies that provide accurate information on hospital costs for treating respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-related bronchiolitis, mainly in middle-income countries (MICs). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the direct medical costs associated with bronchiolitis hospitalizations caused by infection with RSV in Bogota, Colombia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We reviewed the available electronic medical records (EMRs) for all infants younger than two years of age who were admitted to the Fundacion Hospital de La Misericordia with a discharge principal diagnosis of RSV-related bronchiolitis over a 24-month period from January 2016 to December 2017. Direct medical costs of RSV-related bronchiolitis were retrospectively collected by dividing the infants into three groups: those requiring admission to the pediatric ward (PW) only, those requiring admission to the pediatric intermediate care unit (PIMC), and those requiring to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

RESULTS

A total of 89 patients with a median (IQR) age of 7.1 (3.1-12.2) months were analyzed of whom 20 (56.2%) were males. Overall, the median (IQR) cost of infants treated in the PW, in the PIMC, and in the PICU was US$518.0 (217.0-768.9) vs. 1305.2 (1051.4-1492.2) vs. 2749.7 (1372.7-4159.9), respectively, with this difference being statistically significant (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study helps to further our understanding of the economic burden of RSV-related bronchiolitis hospitalizations among infants of under two years of age in a middle-income tropical country.

Nursing intensity scores did not correlate well with reimbursement claims for infant bronchiolitis

AIM

We retrospectively evaluated the hospital reimbursement rates for inpatient bronchiolitis treatment and then compared them to the RAFAELA^® nursing intensity scores.

METHODS

We selected all 44 bronchiolitis patients treated in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and then for each PICU-treated patient two patients treated on the ward (n = 88) under 12 months of age in 2010-2015. The data included medical histories, hospital reimbursement rates using the Nordic Diagnosis Related Groups (NordDRG) or expense categories and the RAFAELA^® scores.

RESULTS

Reimbursement claims were mostly based on expense categories for PICU admissions and NordDRG categories for ward admissions. The median (range) was €6352 (€1330-30 554) and €2009 (€768-6027) per episode for the PICU and ward cases, respectively. The median lengths of hospital stay were 8.5 days (3-18) and 3 days (1-8), respectively. Higher RAFAELA^® scores were associated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure therapy and mechanical ventilation in the PICU and oxygen supplementation and nasogastric tube feeding on the ward. The correlation coefficients between RAFAELA^® scores and hospital reimbursement claims ranged from 0.121-0.450.

CONCLUSION

Hospital reimbursement claim for a PICU admission was three times as much as a ward admission and reimbursement claims for bronchiolitis did not match with nursing intensity scores.

The change in management of bronchiolitis in the intensive care unit between 2000 and 2015

This case-control study evaluated interventions for bronchiolitis in relation to time in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) during a 16-year surveillance period. Together, 105 infants aged < 12 months were treated for bronchiolitis in the PICU, and for them, we selected 210 controls admitted for bronchiolitis closest to cases. We collected data on treatments in the PICU, at the ward and in the emergency department for three periods: years 2000-2005, 2006-2010, and 2011-2015. Median hospital length of stay for PICU patients were 7 days (interquartile range 5-12), 5 days (4-8) and 8 days (4-12.5, p = 0.127), respectively. By time, the use of inhaled beta-agonist (68 vs. 44 vs. 38%, p = 0.019) and systemic corticosteroids (29 vs. 15 vs. 5%, p = 0.019) decreased, but that of racemic adrenaline (59 vs. 78 vs. 84%, p = 0.035) and hypertonic saline (0 vs. 0 vs. 54%, p < 0.001) inhalations increased in the PICU. Similar changes were seen at the ward. In the PICU, non-invasive ventilation therapies increased significantly, but intubation rates did not decline.Conclusion: Beta-agonists and systemic corticosteroids were used less by time in intensive care for infant bronchiolitis, but the use of hypertonic saline and racemic adrenaline increased, though their effectiveness has been questioned. What is Known: • Until now, studies have shown which treatments do not work in bronchiolitis, and so, there is no consensus how infants with bronchiolitis should be treated. In particular, there is no consensus on different interventions in intensive care for bronchiolitis. What is New: • During 2000-2015, treatments with inhaled beta-agonists and systemic corticosteroids decreased but treatments with racemic adrenaline and hypertonic saline inhalations increased in intensive care for bronchiolitis. Similar changes were seen at the ward. Though non-invasive ventilation therapies increased, the intubation rate did not decline.

The cost-effectiveness of hypertonic saline inhalations for infant bronchiolitis: a decision analysis

BACKGROUND

This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of hypertonic saline (HS) inhalations for infant bronchiolitis, compared to normal saline inhalations or standard treatment without inhalations as controls.

METHODS

The decision tree in the decision analysis was used to calculate the expected costs. Actual cost data were obtained from our retrospective case-control study on bronchiolitis treatment. The effectiveness of treatment, based on the hospitalization rate of those admitted to the emergency department and the length of stay (LOS) of those who were hospitalized, was collected from previous studies. For the effectiveness estimations, we made a meta-analysis summarizing the results of the meta-analysis of the Cochrane review in 2013 and the results of 10 studies published after it.

RESULTS

The mean hospitalization rate was 24.7% in the HS inhalation group and 32.6% in the control group [risk ratio: 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67-0.96] and the mean LOS was 3.736 (HS group) and 4.292 (controls) days (mean difference: - 0.55 days, 95% CI - 0.96 to - 0.15), respectively. The expected costs per patient, when both inpatients and outpatients were included, were €816 ($1111) in the HS inhalation group and €962 ($1310) in the control group. The expected costs per hospitalization, when only inpatients were included, were €2600 ($3540) in the HS inhalation group and €2890 ($3935) in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

HS inhalations slightly reduced the expected hospitalization costs of infant bronchiolitis. However, the low effectiveness, rather than the cost, is the factor that will limit the use of HS inhalations in infant bronchiolitis.

Cost-effectiveness study of early versus late parenteral nutrition in critically ill children (PEPaNIC): preplanned secondary analysis of a multicentre randomised controlled trial

Background

The multicentre randomised controlled PEPaNIC trial showed that withholding parenteral nutrition (PN) during the first week of critical illness in children was clinically superior to providing early PN. This study describes the cost-effectiveness of this new nutritional strategy.

Methods

Direct medical costs were calculated with use of a micro-costing approach. We compared the costs of late versus early initiation of PN (n = 673 versus n = 670 patients) in the Belgian and Dutch study populations from a hospital perspective, using Student’s t test with bootstrapping. Main cost drivers were identified and the impact of new infections on the total costs was assessed.

Results

Mean direct medical costs for patients receiving late PN (€26.680, IQR €10.090–28.830 per patient) were 21% lower (-€7.180, p = 0.007) than for patients receiving early PN (€33.860, IQR €11.080–34.720). Since late PN was more effective and less costly, this strategy was superior to early PN. The lower costs for PN only contributed 2.1% to the total cost reduction. The main cost driver was intensive care hospitalisation costs (-€4.120, p = 0.003). The patients who acquired a new infection (14%) were responsible for 41% of the total costs. Sensitivity analyses confirmed consistency across both healthcare systems.

Conclusions

Late initiation of PN decreased the direct medical costs for hospitalisation in critically ill children, beyond the expected lower costs for withholding PN. Avoiding new infections by late initiation of PN yielded a large cost reduction. Hence, late initiation of PN was superior to early initiation of PN largely via its effect on new infections.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01536275. Registered on 16 February 2012.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13054-017-1936-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Low age, low birthweight and congenital heart disease are risk factors for intensive care in infants with bronchiolitis

AIM

This study evaluated the incidence and risk factors for intensive care and respiratory support in infant bronchiolitis.

METHODS

This retrospective descriptive case-control study focused on 105 patients treated in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and 210 controls treated in the emergency department or on the paediatric ward in Tampere University Hospital in Finland between 2000 and 2015. Statistically significant risk factors in nonadjusted analyses were included in the adjusted logistic regression.

RESULTS

The average age-specific annual incidence of bronchiolitis requiring PICU admission under the age of 12 months was 1.5/1000/year (range 0.18-2.59). Independently, significant risk factors for PICU admission were as follows: being less than two months old with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 11.5, birthweight of <2000 g (aOR of 15.9), congenital heart disease (CHD) (aOR of 15.9), apnoea (aOR of 7.2) and the absence of wheezing (aOR of 2.2). Significant risk factors for needing respiratory support were a birthweight of <2000 g, an age of less than two months and CHD.

CONCLUSION

Less than 0.1% of infants under the age of 12 months were admitted to the PICU for bronchiolitis. Low age, low birthweight or prematurity and CHD were independently significant risk factors for both intensive care and respiratory support.

National high-flow nasal cannula and bronchiolitis survey highlights need for further research and evidence-based guidelines

AIM

High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy provides noninvasive respiratory support for infant bronchiolitis and its use has increased following good clinical experiences. This national study describes HFNC use in Finland during a severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemic.

METHODS

A questionnaire on using HFNC for infant bronchiolitis during the 2015-2016 RSV epidemic was sent to the head physicians of 18 Finnish children's hospitals providing inpatient care for infants: 17 hospitals answered, covering 77.5% of the infants born in Finland in 2015.

RESULTS

Most (85%) HFNC was given on paediatric wards. The mean incidence for bronchiolitis treated with HFNC in infants under the age of one in 15 of 17 hospitals was 3.8 per 1000 per year (range: 1.4-8.1): one hospital did not supply the relevant data and one supplied a figure of 34.1 due to a different treatment policy. Instructions on how to start and wean HFNC therapy were present in 71% and 61% of the hospitals, respectively, weighted to the population. Providing weaning instructions was associated with shorter weaning times.

CONCLUSION

High-flow nasal cannula was actively used for infants with bronchiolitis, with no substantial overuse. Randomised controlled studies are needed before any evidence-based guidelines can be constructed for using HFNC in infant bronchiolitis.

Marked variability observed in inpatient management of bronchiolitis in three Finnish hospitals

AIM

Infants hospitalised for bronchiolitis undergo examinations and treatments not supported by current research evidence and we investigated practice variations with regard to Finnish children under the age of two.

METHODS

This prospective, multicentre cohort study was conducted in paediatric units in three university hospitals in Finland from 2008 to 2010. Hospital medical records were reviewed to collect data on clinical course, testing and treatment. Data were analysed separately for children meeting our strict definition of bronchiolitis, aged under 12 months without a history of wheezing, and a loose definition, aged 12-23 months or with a history of wheezing.

RESULTS

The median age of the 408 children was 8.1 months. Clinical management varied between the three hospitals when stratified by strict and loose bronchiolitis subgroup definitions: complete blood counts ranged from 15-95% vs 16-94%, respectively, and the other measures were chest x-ray (16-91% vs 14-72%), intravenous fluids (2-47% vs 2-41%), use of nebulised epinephrine (10-84% vs 7-50%), use of salbutamol (18-21% vs 13-84%) and use of corticosteroids (6-23% vs 60-76%).

CONCLUSION

The clinical management of bronchiolitis varied considerably with regard to the three hospitals and the two definitions of bronchiolitis. A stronger commitment to evidence-based bronchiolitis guidelines is needed in Finland.

Burden of disease and change in practice in critically ill infants with bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis represents the most common cause of non-elective admission to paediatric intensive care units (ICUs).

We assessed changes in admission rate, respiratory support, and outcomes of infants <24 months with bronchiolitis admitted to ICU between 2002 and 2014 in Australia and New Zealand.

During the study period, bronchiolitis was responsible for 9628 (27.6%) of 34 829 non-elective ICU admissions. The estimated population-based ICU admission rate due to bronchiolitis increased by 11.76 per 100 000 each year (95% CI 8.11–15.41). The proportion of bronchiolitis patients requiring intubation decreased from 36.8% in 2002, to 10.8% in 2014 (adjusted OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.27–0.46), whilst a dramatic increase in high-flow nasal cannula therapy use to 72.6% was observed (p<0.001). We observed considerable variability in practice between units, with six-fold differences in risk-adjusted intubation rates that were not explained by ICU type, size, or major patient factors. Annual direct hospitalisation costs due to severe bronchiolitis increased to over USD30 million in 2014.

We observed an increasing healthcare burden due to severe bronchiolitis, with a major change in practice in the management from invasive to non-invasive support that suggests thresholds to admittance of bronchiolitis patients to ICU have changed. Future studies should assess strategies for management of bronchiolitis outside ICUs.

High-flow oxygen therapy is more cost-effective for bronchiolitis than standard treatment-A decision-tree analysis

We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) to provide additional oxygen for infants with bronchiolitis, compared to standard low-flow therapy. The cost-effectiveness was evaluated by decision analyses, using decision tree modeling, and was based on real costs from our recently published retrospective case-control study. The data on the effectiveness of HFNC treatment were collected from earlier published retrospective studies, using admission rates to pediatric intensive care units (PICU). The analyses in the study showed that the expected treatment costs of each episode of infant bronchiolitis varied between €1,312-2,644 ($1,786-3,600) in the HFNC group and €1,598-3,764 ($2,175-5,125) in the standard treatment group. The PICU admission rates and consequential costs were lower for HFNC than for standard treatment. HFNC treatment proved more cost-effective than standard treatment in all the baseline analyses and was also more cost-effective in the sensitivity analyses, except for in the worst-case scenario analysis. In conclusion, our modeling demonstrated that HFNC was strongly cost-effective for infant bronchiolitis, compared to standard treatment because it was both more effective and less expensive. Thus, if children hospitalized for bronchiolitis need oxygen, it should be delivered as HFNC treatment. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016;51:1393-1402. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preventable pediatric intensive care unit admissions over a 13-year period at a level 1 pediatric trauma center

BACKGROUND

No formal criteria exist to determine the need for admission of injured children to the pediatric intensive care unit. Our objective was to analyze trauma patient admissions to the PICU at a level 1 pediatric trauma center.

METHODS

The trauma registry was analyzed between 2002 and 2015. A preventable PICU admission was defined as a child discharged home or transferred out of the PICU within 30h without surgical intervention, blood transfusion, or ventilator support.

RESULTS

Of 16,209 children, 19% were admitted to the PICU: mean age 7.3years, median ISS 17, and overall mortality 7%. Per our definition, 36% were preventable PICU admissions of which 83% suffered a head injury. The preventable admissions were younger (6.9 vs. 7.6years, p<0.001) with a lower median ISS (16 vs. 21, p<0.001), shorter median PICU LOS (17 vs. 41h, p<0.001) and shorter median hospital LOS (51 vs. 121h, p<0.001). These admissions resulted in total facility charges of $9,981,454.76 with 54% produced by children with an isolated head injury.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant number of children admitted to our PICU were classified as preventable. They carry a substantial economic burden to the health care system with an overutilization of resources. Methods to limit such admissions should be actively pursued.

A systematic review of the psychometric properties of bronchiolitis assessment tools

AIM

The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of tools developed for the purpose of assessing infants with bronchiolitis.

BACKGROUND

Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospitalization in infants under the age of 1 year. Several bronchiolitis assessment tools have been developed primarily for use in randomized control trials of medical treatments for infants with bronchiolitis, however, the reliability and validity of many of these tools is not well reported.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE and PubMed electronic databases were searched between January 1960-December 2015 using the key words 'bronchiolitis' and 'assessment' or 'screen' or 'tool' or 'scale' or 'score'.

REVIEW METHODS

A systematic review of the psychometric properties of bronchiolitis assessment tools was undertaken using the COSMIN checklist.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies meeting the inclusion criteria were reviewed and the methodological quality of the studies and reported psychometric properties of 11 instruments were assessed. Overall, the reliability and validity of bronchiolitis assessment tools was poorly established. Although several studies reported that their tools had good inter-rater reliability, the methodological quality of these studies was generally poor. Only one study underwent psychometric testing that was assessed as being of excellent quality. The Respiratory Distress Assessment Index was deemed to have undergone the most rigorous psychometric testing but had poor to moderate construct validity and considerable test-retest error.

CONCLUSION

Current bronchiolitis assessment tools lack clearly established reliability and validity and may not be sensitive to clinically meaningful outcomes for patients.

Impact of hospitalizations for bronchiolitis in preterm infants on long-term health care costs in Italy: a retrospective case-control study

Purpose

Bronchiolitis is an acute inflammatory injury of the bronchioles, and is the most frequent cause of hospitalization for lower respiratory tract infections in preterm infants. This was a retrospective, observational, case-control study conducted in Italy, based on administrative database analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in health care costs of preterm infants with and without early hospitalization for bronchiolitis.

Patients and methods

Preterm infants born in the period between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 and hospitalized for bronchiolitis in the first year of life were selected from the ARNO Observatory database and observed for the first 4 years of life. These preterm infants were compared (paired 1–3) with preterm infants who were not hospitalized for bronchiolitis in the first year of life and with similar characteristics. Only direct health care costs reimbursed by the Italian National Health Service were considered for this study (drugs, hospitalizations, and diagnostic/therapeutic procedures).

Results

Of 40,823 newborns in the accrual period, 863 were preterm with no evidence of prophylaxis, and 22 preterm infants were hospitalized for bronchiolitis (cases) and paired with 62 controls. Overall, cases had 74% higher average cost per infant in the first 4 years of life than controls (18,624€ versus 10,189€, respectively). The major cost drivers were hospitalizations, accounting for >90% in both the populations. The increase in total yearly health care cost between cases and controls remained substantial even in the fourth year of life for all cost items. A relevant increase in hospitalizations and drug consumption linked to respiratory tract diseases was noted in infants hospitalized for bronchiolitis during the entire follow-up period.

Conclusion

Preterm infants hospitalized for bronchiolitis in the first year of life were associated with increased resource consumption and costs throughout the entire period of observation; even in the fourth year, the difference versus paired controls was relevant.

Prenatal Versus Postnatal Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Intensive Care Use in Children Hospitalized With Bronchiolitis

OBJECTIVE

Among children hospitalized with bronchiolitis, we examined the associations between in utero exposure to maternal cigarette smoking, postnatal tobacco smoke exposure, and risk of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU).

METHODS

We performed a 16-center, prospective cohort study of hospitalized children aged <2 years with a physician admitting diagnosis of bronchiolitis. For 3 consecutive years, from November 1, 2007 until March 31, 2010, site teams collected data from participating families, including information about prenatal maternal smoking and postnatal tobacco exposure. Analyses used chi-square, Fisher's exact, and Kruskal-Wallis tests and multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among 2207 enrolled children, 216 (10%) had isolated in utero exposure to maternal smoking, 168 (8%) had isolated postnatal tobacco exposure, and 115 (5%) experienced both. Adjusting for age, sex, race, birth weight, viral etiology, apnea, initial severity of retractions, initial oxygen saturation, oral intake, and postnatal tobacco exposure, children with in utero exposure to maternal smoking had greater odds of being admitted to the ICU (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-2.00). Among children with in utero exposure to maternal smoking, those with additional postnatal tobacco exposure had a greater likelihood of ICU admission (aOR 1.95, 95% CI 1.13-3.37) compared to children without postnatal tobacco smoke exposure (aOR 1.47, 95% CI 1.05-2.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy puts children hospitalized with bronchiolitis at significantly higher risk of intensive care use. Postnatal tobacco smoke exposure may exacerbate this risk. Health care providers should incorporate this information into counseling messages.