A landmark Queensland-led study into the emergency care and management of infants with bronchiolitis, partly funded by Mater Foundation, is set to change the way the disease is treated in hospitals internationally.
Researchers at Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland (MRI-UQ) and Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital found that nasal high-flow therapy halved the number of children requiring a higher level of care, including intensive care, for bronchiolitis.
Bronchiolitis—caused by a viral infection in the lungs—is the most common reason for infants under 12 months to be admitted to hospital, with 10 per cent of them requiring intensive care.
The three-year international study involved 1472 infants who presented at emergency departments across 17 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand.
Approximately 20 per cent of all non-elective intensive care admissions for children in Australia and New Zealand are due to bronchiolitis, accounting for more than AU$40 million in intensive care costs alone each year.
Mater Researcher and Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital paediatric intensivist, Associate Professor Andreas Schibler, said the findings would be a game changer.
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