Bronchiolitis: Increase In Hospital Admission Rates
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Bronchiolitis is the inflammation of the bronchioles in the lungs, which commonly affects children under 2 years of age. A group of researchers from the University of Oxford and University of Leeds in the United Kingdom analyzed data from the past 50 years about hospital admissions due to bronchiolitis. Because of the freezing weather in the United Kingdom, the winter season is when hospital admission for bronchiolitis is seen at higher rates. Thus, at this time of year, the pediatric centers of hospitals significantly increase the usage of their facilities to accommodate the sudden increase in patients.
Researchers gathered data from hospital statistics to determine how many patients require emergency care versus how many need regular care.…show more content… According to the article, the research showed increasing rates in the United Kingdom; however, it is noted that rates in the United States and Canada started rising in the 1990s as well. This is a lower respiratory tract infection, which involves the lungs, bronchus, bronchioles, and alveoli. Cold air is similar to an irritant in the way that it causes the bronchioles to constrict.
The researchers’ purpose was to analyze the trend in hospital admission for infants with bronchiolitis over the last 5 decades. They were determined to compare the hospital admission rates to the rates of admission into pediatric intensive care units in order to see if there was any increase in severity of the condition over the years. They were also looking at geographical variation and risk factors related to getting bronchiolitis. In addition, they examined the association between having bronchiolitis and developing breathing conditions, like asthma, later on in…show more content… In comparing the number of pediatric intensive care unit admissions over the years, researchers determined that severity of bronchiolitis has not notably increased. Yet, there has overall been an increase in how many cases the hospitals see of this condition every year.
This research proved that more and more people are affected by bronchiolitis every year. These conclusions affect hospitals and healthcare resources because they need to accommodate for the increasing number of patients. To help the people with bronchiolitis, especially in the winter season, more facilities should be prepared and more resources should be provided. After this, research could be done to find out how to prevent and treat this condition without having to go to the hospital.
Having this long-term study over the past 50 years has its pros and cons. Over time, parts of the study, such as data collection, may have changed. This can cause uncertainty in the interpretation of data because there may be gaps in some information. However, there was still a noticeably clear and steady increase in the trends observed. This supports the overall conclusion that hospital admission due to bronchiolitis increases every