Nawaf M. Almuqati 1, Mohammed Y. Al-Hindi 1,2,3,*, Hibah A. Moussa 4, Sama H. Alzahrani 4, Manar A. Almuntashri 1, Mansour A. Al-Qurashi 1,2,3, Mawyah O. Barayyan 5 and Shaykhah M. Bin-Sifran 6
Healthcare Utilization and Economic Burden of Pediatric Lower Respiratory Tract Infections Across Five Tertiary Hospitals in Saudi Arabia
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Study Design & Setting:
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- Multicenter retrospective cohort study
- Five tertiary hospitals across Saudi Arabia
- Children aged 1–24 months
- Real-world healthcare utilization and economic burden analysis
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Study Objectives:
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- Assess healthcare utilization patterns in pediatric LRTIs
- Evaluate direct economic burden
- Characterize hospitalization and ICU resource utilization
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Study Population:
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- 22,895 LRTI episodes analyzed
- Mean age: 8.2 months
- Bronchiolitis was the predominant diagnosis (84.6%)
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Diagnosis Distribution Among Pediatric LRTI Episodes
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Bronchiolitis represented the predominant diagnosis among pediatric LRTI episodes across Saudi tertiary hospitals.
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Substantial Hospitalization and ICU Burden Observed in Pediatric LRTIs
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Healthcare Utilization Overview:
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- LRTIs accounted for 21% of pediatric ward admissions
- 34.4% of episodes required hospitalization
- 7.1% of episodes required ICU admission
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Seasonality:
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- Higher case volumes were observed during winter months
- Consistent with seasonal circulation of respiratory viruses, particularly RSV
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Key Takeaway:
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- Although ICU admissions were less frequent, they represent a substantial driver of healthcare burden.
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Patient Flow and Resource Utilization
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Despite representing only 7.1% of episodes, ICU admissions contribute disproportionately to the overall healthcare burden.
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Higher case volumes were observed during winter months, consistent with seasonal circulation of respiratory viruses, particularly RSV
ICU Admissions Drove a Disproportionate Share of Direct Healthcare Costs
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Total Direct Cost
Approximately
USD 23.0 million
across 22,895 episodes
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Cost Breakdown
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ICU
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USD 10.36M
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(45.1%)
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Ward
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USD 10.77M
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(46.8%)
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ED
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USD 1.83M
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(8.0%)
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Key Takeaway
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Despite representing only
7.1% of cases,
ICU admissions accounted for 45.1% of total direct healthcare costs.
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Distribution of Total Direct Healthcare Costs
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These findings highlight the substantial clinical and economic burden of pediatric LRTIs in Saudi Arabia and reinforce the value of preventive strategies targeting severe RSV disease.
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Almuqati, N. M., Al-Hindi, M. Y., Moussa, H. A., Alzahrani, S. H., Almuntashri, M. A., Al-Qurashi, M. A., Barayyan, M. O., & Bin-Sifran, S. M. (2026). Healthcare utilization and economic burden of pediatric lower respiratory tract infections across five tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Pediatric Reports, 18(3), 71. https://doi.org/10.3390/pediatric18030071
MAT-BH-2600343-V1.0-JUN2026
