Risks of severity and readmission of Indigenous and non-Indigenous children hospitalised for bronchiolitis.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the characteristics of children admitted to Royal Darwin Hospital with bronchiolitis, and to compare the severity of illness and incidence of subsequent readmission in Indigenous and non-Indigenous children.


METHODS
Retrospective study of 101 children (aged <or=2 years) hospitalised with bronchiolitis to Royal Darwin Hospital between April 2005 and December 2006.


METHODS
Admission characteristics and indices of severity, treatment required (antibiotics etc.), reasons and incidence of readmissions (within 6 months).


RESULTS
Indigenous children had significantly more severe illness then non-Indigenous children (n= 80 and 21, respectively), longer hospital stay (median = 6 and 3 days; P= 0.001) and oxygen requirement (median = 3 and 0; P= 0.004), pneumonia (n= 14 and 0; P= 0.04) and antibiotics treatment (48 and 4; P= 0.001). The readmission rate for bronchiolitis was high (23%) with no significant difference between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children.


CONCLUSIONS
Indigenous Australian children hospitalised with bronchiolitis have significantly more severe illness than non-Indigenous children. Points of intervention that can address this and the identified high readmission rate (within 6 months) are required.
Bailey
Emily J
EJ
Queensland Children's Respiratory Centre, Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. emilyjanebailey@gmail.com
Maclennan
Carolyn
C
Morris
Peter S
PS
Kruske
Sue G
SG
Brown
Ngiare
N
Chang
Anne B
AB
D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D015876:Northern Territory / Q000453:epidemiology; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index