Impact of a new acute bronchiolitis protocol on clinical practice

Abstract Introduction The prevalence and the variability of clinical practice in acute bronchiolitis make it a perfect candidate to monitor the proper use of resources. The aim of this study is to analyse the differences in the use of non-recommended resources in the management of bronchiolitis in the Emergency Department, before and after the establishment of a new protocol. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on a sample of patients diagnosed with acute bronchiolitis in the Emergency Department of a tertiary hospital, before (December 2014) and after (December 2016) the implementation of a new protocol. A comparison was made on the use of diagnostic tests and treatments in both groups. Results The analysis included a total of 113 patients with acute bronchiolitis examined in December 2014, and 128 patients in December 2016. The clinical characteristics in both groups were similar. In the post-protocol period, there was a significant decrease in the use of salbutamol, both in the Emergency Department (33.6% vs 19.5%, P P P  = .002); and nebulised hypertonic saline solution (5.3% vs 0.8%, P  = .04). Rapid respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) testing was also decreased (40.7% vs 26.6%, P  = .01). This decrease was not associated with an increase in the number of admissions or re-assessments in the Emergency Department. Conclusions The establishment of a new protocol for acute bronchiolitis decreased the use of non-recommended resources, mainly the use of bronchodilators and rapid RSV testing.