BACKGROUND: A number of clinical scoring systems have been used in intervention studies for acute bronchiolitis, most of them have limited validity when systematically evaluated. The aims of this study were to validate the modified Tal score and to assess its prediction for length of oxygen requirement and length of stay (LOS) in hospital.
METHODS: A prospective cohort study of infants aged
RESULTS: 600 scores were given by 24 physicians to 50 infants (mean age5.2 ±3.3 months, 56% males). ICC with group 1 (pediatric pulmonologist) as a reference value showed significant correlations: 0.882, 0.885 and 0.878 (p<0.001) with group 2, 3 and 4, respectively. aROC was 0.73 and 0.69 for predicting oxygen requirement at 48 hours and LOS at 72 hours by the score, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Modified Tal score is a reliable and valid scoring system for the evaluation of infants with acute bronchiolitis unrelated to the pediatrician`s training level. The first score on admission is a moderate predictor for oxygen requirement at 48 hours, and for LOS at 72 hours.
