Overuse of Continuous Pulse Oximetry for Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis, a viral infection of the lower respiratory tract, is the most common cause of hospitalization among children younger than 2 years, and generated estimated direct hospital costs of $734 million in 2016. Clinical practice recommendations from the Choosing Wisely campaign and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) specifically target medical overuse for children with bronchiolitis in an effort to improve value of medical care for the approximately 130  000 infants admitted each year with this disease. Amid recommendations related to prevention, diagnosis, and management of bronchiolitis, these guidelines recommend restricting the use of continuous pulse oximetry for hospitalized children receiving supplemental oxygen. Despite data suggesting th at continuous pulse oximetry is associated with increased length of stay (LOS), health care costs, and patient harm, little is known about the prevalence of or contextual factors associated with continuous pulse oximetry use for patients admitted with bronchiolitis.
Source: JAMA - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research