Identification of Young Infants with Bronchiolitis at Low Risk of Developing Respiratory Progression

ABSTRACT / PROJECT SUMMARY The long-term goal of this K23 Career Development Award is to prepare Dr. Son H. McLaren, MD, MS for an independent research career focused on improving the health and outcomes of infants and children presenting to acute care settings with bronchiolitis and other potentially severe infectious illnesses through the use of predictive modeling, integrating continuously measured (time series) physiologic or vital sign data and machine learning techniques. Bronchiolitis, a viral lower respiratory tract infection, is the most common reason for emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations in infants ≤90 days old, hereafter referred to as young infants. In an ongoing prospective cohort study of young infants with bronchiolitis, Dr. McLaren found that young infants are more likely to have potentially avoidable hospitalizations, when compared with broader age of infants