Characteristics of inpatients with atopic asthma in a tertiary center: do age and gender have an influence?

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated gender influence on asthma prevalence, being higher among males during early childhood. Little is known about the impact of gender and age on asthma exacerbation characteristics in pediatrics. This study aimed to determine the differences in acute asthma between males and females in three different age groups regarding perinatal characteristics of asthmatic patients, comorbidities, medication adherence, level of blood eosinophils, and pattern of hospitalization. METHODS: The medical records of 130 pediatric patients with asthma, who presented to the emergency department at Jordan University hospital with asthma exacerbations, were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic information and clinical characteristics were collected. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 10.7±4.7 years. The age at diagnosis and gestational age were significantly higher in older children. Furthermore, younger children were significantly more likely to experience winter exacerbations and more emergency presentations. Male patients were considerably younger than their female counterparts and were diagnosed younger. In addition, male patients were more likely to have eosinophil levels higher than 3% than female patients. CONCLUSION: Gender plays a role in the development and outcome of asthma exacerbations at different ages of pediatrics. A better understanding of gender-based and age-based differences in asthma dictates a personalized approach to treatment.