Variation in Systemic Corticosteroid Prescribing for Asthma Exacerbations at Children's Hospitals

Asthma exacerbations are a leading cause of pediatric hospitalization, and systemic corticosteroids are a mainstay of inpatient treatment. This study describes hospital-level variability and trends in systemic corticosteroid prescribing during acute asthma exacerbation hospitalizations and examines hospital-level associations between prescribed corticosteroid and hospitalization outcomes.

This retrospective cross-sectional study used the Pediatric Health Information System database to examine encounters of patients aged 2 to 18 years who were hospitalized with an acute asthma exacerbation between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2023 and were administered dexamethasone, prednisone, prednisolone, or methylprednisolone. We analyzed trends and hospital-level variation in systemic corticosteroid prescribing. We used generalized estimating equations to analyze the association of annual hospital-level dexamethasone use with hospitalization outcomes-length of stay, ED revisit, and readmission rates, with models adjusted for relevant clinical and demographic factors.

We identified 122 856 asthma hospitalizations across 38 children's hospitals. From 2016 to 2023, the proportion of hospital-level dexamethasone use increased from 42% to 77%. The proportion of hospitals prescribing dexamethasone for over 80% of hospital encounters rose from 18% in 2016 to 66% in 2023. There was no difference in hospitalization outcomes based on annual hospital-level dexamethasone use, including a subanalysis also based on annual hospital-level dexamethasone use focusing on exclusive dexamethasone or exclusive prednisone/prednisolone use (P > .05).

Dexamethasone use during asthma hospitalizations increased during the study period, without differences in hospitalization outcomes between hospitals that used a higher proportion of dexamethasone vs those that used less.