Acute Asthma in the Pediatric Emergency Department: Infections Are the Main Triggers of Exacerbations
Table 2
Characteristics of the 603 patients aged 0–14 years who were visited for acute asthma from 1 January to 31 December 2016 in the Pediatric ED of S. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital of Bologna.
Total ()
Aged <6 years ()
Aged ≥6 years ()
Males, (%)
394 (65)
292 (64)
102 (71)
Age, yrs
(i) Median
3.1
2.1
8.7
(ii) 25th percentile
1.5
1.3
6.9
(iii) 75th percentile
5.8
3.7
10.7
Etiology, (%)
(i) Infection
515 (85)
435 (95)
80 (56)
(ii) Allergy
60 (10)
12 (3)
48 (33)
(iii) Exercise
2 (0.3)
1 (0.2)
1 (0.7)
(iv) Unknown
26 (4.3)
11 (2)
15 (10)
Previous diagnosis of asthma/wheezing bronchitis, (%)
