Asthma, pneumonia, acute bronchitis, or some other respiratory disorder are the leading causes of hospital admissions for infants and toddlers who are first treated in the emergency department (ED), according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Respiratory conditions account for nearly 40% of such admissions.

The report also states that, for children age 5 to 9, respiratory illnesses account for 26% of admissions through the ED.

While these numbers decline as children age, respiratory conditions are still the third-leading cause of admissions through the ED for children age 10 to 14 years (12%) and fourth-leading cause for teenagers age 15 to 17 (8%).

Overall, the AHRQ states that asthma alone accounted for more than one third of respiratory admissions—95,000 cases—through the emergency department in 2004.