Disparities by race are known for children with asthma in the outpatient setting and post-hospital discharge. We sought to investigate if racial disparities also occur during hospitalization for children with asthma. The Pediatric Health Information System, a 35-hospital dataset from fiscal year 2003, was analyzed for patient-level, institution-level, utilization, and outcome variables that were associated with racial disparities. Of 17,406 admissions, blacks represented 51% and whites, 40%. Black patients were more likely to be insured by government sources (p < 0.001) and to be admitted in the mild severity category (p < 0.001). Blacks had a shorter mean length of stay (p < 0.01) but overall were more likely to receive bronchodilators (p < 0.0001) and steroids (p < 0.05). Length of stay and charges varies by insurance, with significant racial differences seen in government and "other" insurance types. Readmissions varied, with more whites readmitted within 72 hours (p < 0.002), but more blacks readmitte...