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ED charges for bronchiolitis increased from 2006 to 2010
In the United States, there was an increase of ED charges for bronchiolitis in children between 2006 and 2010, according to recent study findings published in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.
“The observed increase in ED charges was partially explained by differences in comorbidities; however, multivariable analysis demonstrated that insurance status and several ED characteristics were strong predictors of ED charges in children with bronchiolitis,” Kohei Hasegawa, MD, MPH, of Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues wrote.
Kohei Hasegawa
The serial, cross-sectional study included all children aged younger than 2 years diagnosed with bronchiolitis.
Researchers found that between 2006 and 2010, there were 1,435,110 ED visits for bronchiolitis. There was an overall 2% increase in bronchiolitis ED visits due to the visit rate among children aged 12 to 23 months (24% increase). However, there was a 4% decrease for bronchiolitis-related ED visits among infants. ED charges during the time period increased by 16%, which was caused by an increase in ED charged per case from $887 to $1,059.
“In our study, the ED charges were partly explained by annual bronchiolitis volume within the ED after adjusting for case-mix and other ED characteristics,” researchers wrote. “Thus, the association between the EDs with higher bronchiolitis volumes and lower charges might result from the factors other than patient and ED characteristics, such as greater provider experience and streamlined systems of care contributing to less routine use of bronchodilators, radiographs, and laboratory tests.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
