Background 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. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study included children aged 0–24 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. Results A total of 598 patients were included, representing 10.4% of pediatric admissions. The mean age was 7.8 ± 5.5 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 1.5–5), 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. Conclusion 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.
Abughosh et al. (Thu,) studied this question.