Improving the management of infants with bronchiolitis presenting to the emergency department

Abstract

This thesis represents a compilation of peer-reviewed papers addressing the care for children presenting to emergency departments with bronchiolitis. After an introductory chapter, papers related to one of several themes are briefly introduced and placed in context with each other. The papers, and their compilation in this thesis, aim to provide guidance for paediatricians and emergency physicians caring for children on how to bronchiolitis in hospital, with specific attention paid to hydration methods, reducing low value care and high flow nasal cannula use. Many aspects of this work, including certain research findings, are being used by, or have been implemented in, the Emergency Department at Royal Children’s Hospital and other emergency departments across Victoria, Australia, as well as interstate and overseas. I take primary responsibility for the initial concept, design, protocol development and successful execution of all projects used for this thesis. To my knowledge, no other co-author has presented papers from this compilation for submission as part of a degree. Exceptions are the use of parts of the projects in the fulfilment of Advanced Trainee requirements for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians or the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, or for advanced medical students in the fulfilment of a Bachelor of Science through the University of Melbourne.