{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]],"date-time":"2026-05-28T07:02:23Z","timestamp":1779951743565,"version":"3.53.1"},"reference-count":11,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]],"date-time":"2026-05-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779926400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Pediatr."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Bronchiolitis is a leading cause of hospitalization in infants under 2 years, with seasonal surges that strain healthcare systems. Despite its prevalence, management remains largely supportive, and predictive tools for disease severity are limited. This study aimed to characterize the clinical epidemiology, seasonal trends, and risk factors for bronchiolitis hospitalization and prolonged length of stay (LOS) at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), and to estimate the associated economic burden.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A retrospective cross-sectional study included children aged 0\u201324 months admitted with bronchiolitis to SKMC between September 2023 and August 2024. Demographics, clinical features, comorbidities, laboratory findings, oxygen requirements, and escalation of care were collected from the electronic medical record. LOS, escalation to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and hospitalization costs were analyzed using multivariable regression models.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 598 patients were included, representing 10.4% of pediatric admissions. The mean age was 7.8\u2009\u00b1\u20095.5 months; 59% were male, and 71% had no significant comorbidities. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was identified in 47% of cases. Most were admitted for respiratory distress with normoxia (44%) or hypoxia (37%). Overall, 79.1% were managed on the ward and 14.9% in PICU; 10.8% required escalation from ward to PICU. Median LOS was 2.7 days (IQR 1.5\u20135), with a median cost of 21,776 United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED). Prolonged LOS was significantly associated with hypoxia, hypercapnia, comorbidities, shorter symptom duration, and secondary pneumonia. The same factors, along with RSV infection, significantly predicted PICU escalation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Early identification of infants with hypoxia, hypercapnia, comorbidities, or secondary pneumonia is critical to anticipate prolonged hospitalization, optimize resource planning, and guide targeted preventive strategies during seasonal peaks.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fped.2026.1803101","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]],"date-time":"2026-05-28T06:15:54Z","timestamp":1779948954000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Insights into epidemiological and clinical burden of bronchiolitis among hospitalized children: a call for preventive interventions"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Rahaf","family":"Abughosh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Residency Program, Education Institute","place":["Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fatmah","family":"Almesmari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Residency Program, Education Institute","place":["Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Noora","family":"Alattar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Residency Program, Education Institute","place":["Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bilal","family":"Mohammad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City","place":["Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Basheer","family":"Tharayil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City","place":["Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maimunah","family":"Uddin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City","place":["Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefan","family":"Weber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Purelab Reference Laboratory for Infectious Diseases","place":["Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sareea","family":"AlRemeithi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Residency Program, Education Institute","place":["Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"]},{"name":"Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City","place":["Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105824","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rmed.2019.105824","article-title":"Factors predicting length of stay in bronchiolitis","volume":"161","author":"Masarweh","year":"2020","journal-title":"Respir Med"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"851","DOI":"10.1007\/s12519-023-00688-9","article-title":"Clinical epidemiology and disease burden of bronchiolitis in hospitalized children in China: a national cross-sectional study","volume":"19","author":"Tian","year":"2023","journal-title":"World J Pediatr"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"66","DOI":"10.1186\/s13052-023-01455-2","article-title":"Hospitalization for bronchiolitis in children aged \u2264 1 year, southern Italy, year 2021: need for new preventive strategies?","volume":"49","author":"Baldassarre","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ital J Pediatr"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e620","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2014-1666","article-title":"Updated guidance for palivizumab prophylaxis among infants and young children at increased risk of hospitalization for respiratory syncytial virus infection","volume":"134","author":"Brady","year":"2014","journal-title":"Pediatrics"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"437","DOI":"10.1007\/s00431-025-06275-6","article-title":"RSV bronchiolitis: a disease only for those who do not receive prophylaxis","volume":"184","author":"Villani","year":"2025","journal-title":"Eur J Pediatr"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.36469\/jheor.2024.123889","article-title":"Retrospective analysis of RSV infection in pediatric patients: epidemiology, comorbidities, treatment, and costs in Dubai (2014-2023)","volume":"11","author":"Joury","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Heal Econ Outcomes Res"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1007\/s40272-017-0264-y","article-title":"Palivizumab prophylaxis against respiratory syncytial virus infection in children with immunocompromised conditions or down syndrome: a multicenter, post-marketing surveillance in Japan","volume":"20","author":"Kashiwagi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Pediatr Drugs"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2425","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2309189","article-title":"Nirsevimab for prevention of hospitalizations due to RSV in infants","volume":"389","author":"Drysdale","year":"2023","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e667","DOI":"10.5001\/omj.2024.111","article-title":"Palivizumab for the prophylaxis of respiratory syncytial virus disease: expert opinion and recommendations for the gulf cooperation council region","volume":"39","author":"Alharbi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Oman Med J"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"87551225251392119","DOI":"10.1177\/87551225251392119","article-title":"Clesrovimab for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus lower respiratory tract disease in infants","volume":"42","author":"Phillips","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Pharm Technol"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.34763\/jmotherandchild.20252901.d-25-00012","article-title":"Maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination: current status and comparison to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for RSV prevention in infants and children","volume":"29","author":"Ali","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Mother Child"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Pediatrics"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fped.2026.1803101\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]],"date-time":"2026-05-28T06:15:59Z","timestamp":1779948959000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fped.2026.1803101\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]]},"references-count":11,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fped.2026.1803101"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fped.2026.1803101","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2360"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2360","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]]},"article-number":"1803101"}}