Medical practice variability refers to differences in treatment and clinical outcomes that cannot be solely explained by patient characteristics or medical conditions. This variability can lead to inconsistent outcomes, especially in complex environments like pediatric inpatient wards. Standardization of care protocols is proposed as a way to reduce this inconsistency.

Medical practice variability refers to differences in treatment and clinical outcomes that cannot be solely explained by patient characteristics or medical conditions. This variability can lead to inconsistent outcomes, especially in complex environments like pediatric inpatient wards. Standardization of care protocols is proposed as a way to reduce this inconsistency.

One key area of variability is the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory infections, particularly distinguishing bacterial from viral bronchial infections. Due to the lack of definitive clinical criteria, there is widespread antibiotic use (65-80% of cases), despite ongoing debate about their effectiveness.

Implementing standardized management protocols in pediatric wards aims to reduce such variability and improve clinical outcomes. This study will attempt to measure variability in outcomes based on treatment variables, identifying sources of medical variability and their impact.

Inclusion Criteria:

Children under 2 years hospitalized with LARI in general pediatric wards during the winter months (June-September) of 2025 and 2026 in Buenos Aires

Exclusion Criteria:

Intensive care admission on entry Presence of comorbidities: congenital heart disease. Chronic respiratory conditions, neuromuscular diseases, immunodeficiencies,.

Prolonged previous hospitalizations for unrelated causes Severe disabilities influencing hospitalization duration.

Children under 2 years hospitalized with LARI in general pediatric wards during the winter months (June-September) of 2025 and 2026 in Buenos Aires

all data will be available

3 years