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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
14:39
Bronchial Thermoplasty: A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Severe Asthma
Published on: November 4, 2010
US outpatient office visits for bronchiolitis, 1993-2004
Jonathan M Mansbach1, Andrea J Pelletier, Carlos A Camargo
1Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, MA 02115, USA. jonathan.mansbach@childrens.harvard.edu
Summary
Bronchiolitis remains a common cause of outpatient visits for young children, averaging nearly 750,000 annually. Many primary care providers prescribe medications, though diagnostic tests are infrequent.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Bronchiolitis is a common viral respiratory infection in infants and young children.
- Understanding its clinical epidemiology is crucial for healthcare resource allocation and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the clinical epidemiology of US outpatient visits for children younger than 2 years with bronchiolitis.
- To analyze trends and characteristics of bronchiolitis-related healthcare utilization.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (1993-2004).
- Included outpatient visits with ICD-9 code 466 for patients under 2 years.
- Employed patient visit weights for national estimates and chi-squared tests for comparisons.
Main Results:
- Bronchiolitis accounted for approximately 8.75 million outpatient visits for children <2 years from 1993-2004.
- The rate was 103 per 1000 US children; 52% were prescribed albuterol.
- Bronchiolitis visits were less common in the Northeast and more likely to result in hospital admission.
Conclusions:
- Annual outpatient visits for bronchiolitis in young children remained stable, averaging ~750,000 per year.
- Over half of primary care providers prescribed medications for bronchiolitis.
- Diagnostic testing was uncommon in these outpatient settings.
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