A Quality Improvement initiative to decrease chest x-ray utilization for asthma and bronchiolitis in a Pediatric Emergency Department

TITLE: A Quality Improvement initiative to decrease chest x-ray utilization for asthma and bronchiolitis in a Pediatric Emergency Department Background: Asthma and bronchiolitis are common emergency department presentations. Chest x-rays (CXRs) for these diagnoses are not routinely recommended, but are often obtained. Reducing unnecessary CXRs to minimize cost, radiation exposure, and length of stay aligns clinical practice with current evidence based recommendations. Objective: To reduce CXR utilization in patients with asthma and bronchiolitis by 25% from baseline value of 40% to 30% over a 12 month period (Mar …