4.1 Limits of the study
The survey design generates findings entirely based on recall over a
previous calendar year. However, given the fact there has been no
national or local implementation of a standardized bronchiolitis
guideline, we can exclude with reasonable certainty that a significant
change in clinical practice has occurred since the time our data were
recorded. Furthermore, what physicians report and what they do in real
clinical practice may often vary. Additionally, data were only collected
from 234 paediatricians, but this denominator can not be definitively
representative of all nation. Moreover, small sample sizes in some sites
have limited our ability to investigate site-to-site variation. On the
other hand, the solid response rate and the broad representation of
sites across the whole country lend weight and credibility to our
results.
5. Conclusions
There is a significant practice variation in the monitoring, treatment,
and discharge of children suffering from acute bronchiolitis among
Italians physicians. Future research is urgently required to define the
best management of patients with bronchiolitis, optimize the use of
therapeutic resources as well as implement strategies to standardize
care and improve the quality of care.