(HealthDay)—Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) on acute viral bronchiolitis vary in quality, with the highest scoring domains being "scope and purpose" and "clarity of presentation," according to a study published online Sept. 8 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.

Carlos E. Rodriguez-Martinez, M.D., from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogota, and colleagues performed a systematic search of CPGs on acute viral bronchiolitis published from 2000 to 2014. The quality of CPGs was assessed by three independent appraisers. For each of six domains, a standardized score was calculated and the CPGs were rated as recommended, recommended with modifications, or not recommended.

The researchers selected six CPGs published between 2000 and 2014 from a total of 111 citations. Considerable agreement was found among reviewers. The domains for "scope and purpose" scored highest, with a mean value of 92.1 percent, while "clarity of presentation" scored 83.3 percent. The lowest scoring domains were "applicability" and "stakeholder involvement" (44.3 and 66.7 percent, respectively). Two CPGs were recommended for use in clinical practice and three were recommended with modifications.

"Available CPGs vary in quality, and the findings of the present study are useful for identifying aspects or domains where there is room for improvement in future CPGs," the authors write.