Demographic and Clinical Insights into Pediatric Asthma Exacerbations: A Retrospective Study at a Tertiary Care Center in the United Arab Emirates.

Background: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation, leading to airway hyperresponsiveness and recurrent episodes of wheezing, respiratory distress, chest tightness, and/or coughing. Objective: This study aims to describe the demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, management strategies, and outcomes of patients with asthma exacerbations. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from children aged 2 to 13 years who were admitted with a diagnosis of asthma exacerbation between January 2018 and July 2023. The study was conducted at a tertiary referral hospital providing inpatient care. Results: Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors associated with severe asthma exacerbations (SAEs). Univariate analyses, including chi-square tests and simple logistic regression, showed that chest recession, respiratory distress, use of prophylactic medications, obesity, and a family history of allergy were significantly associated with severe exacerbations. However, obesity was associated with lower odds of developing SAE. Comparisons of continuous variables using two-sample Conclusion: Younger age, increased respiratory and heart rates, lower oxygen saturation, chest recession, respiratory distress, use of prophylactic medications, and a family history of allergy were identified as significant predictors of asthma exacerbation severity.