Modified Tal (M-Tal) Score as a Predictor of Outcomes in Infants with Bronchiolitis: A Prospective Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Bronchiolitis is a primary cause of infant hospitalization.
• Predicting bronchiolitis severity and outcomes is challenging.
• The Modified Tal (M-Tal) score needs further validation for outcome prediction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the Modified Tal (M-Tal) score's utility in predicting clinical outcomes for infants with moderate-to-severe bronchiolitis.
• To validate the M-Tal score as a tool for early risk stratification.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study over 2 years at a tertiary care hospital.
• Enrolled 120 infants (1-12 months) with moderate-to-severe bronchiolitis.
• Collected demographic, clinical, management, and outcome data.

Main Results:

• Severe bronchiolitis cases showed significantly longer oxygen therapy duration and hospital stays.
• Each one-point increase in M-Tal score correlated with increased hospital stay (0.69 days), oxygen requirement (9.8 hours), and PICU stay (0.32 days).
• M-Tal score demonstrated a statistically significant association with key outcome measures (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• The M-Tal score at admission is a valuable predictor of clinical outcomes in infants with moderate-to-severe bronchiolitis.
• Higher M-Tal scores indicate a greater need for respiratory support and prolonged hospitalization.
• The M-Tal score aids in early risk stratification and management planning for bronchiolitis.