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Time trends in acute childhood asthma in Basque country, Spain
Author(s) -
Benito J.,
Bayon J. Lopez,
Montiano J.,
Sanchez J.,
Mintegui S.,
Vazquez C.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
pediatric pulmonology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.866
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1099-0496
pISSN - 8755-6863
DOI - 10.1002/ppul.1950200310
Subject(s) - medicine , asthma , epidemiology , pediatrics , emergency medicine , intensive care unit , hospital admission , prednisolone , intensive care medicine
To investigate recent changes in the epidemiology of acute asthma in children in a hospital setting, data from the Basque region of Bizkaia, Spain were reviewed for the period between 1987 and 1992. Over this period there was a 18% drop in hospital emergency visits for asthma in children aged 2‐14 years from 1,697/100,000 to 1,382/100,000. It was associated with a decline in the number of annual episodes per patient and in the number of patients needing further hospital treatment for the same episode. Paradoxically, hospital admission rates rose by 35.9% from 298/100,000 to 405/100,000. A trend toward decreasing length of hospital stay, a fall in the number of intensive care unit admissions, and an absence of in‐hospital deaths were observed. Comparing data from September 1987 with those of September 1992, a trend has been noticed toward greater intensity of emergency room treatment with increases in the number of doses of nebulized ß‐‐agonists administered and in courses of oral prednisolone given. In September 1992 more patients were on maintenance “anti‐inflammatory” inhaled therapy than in 1987. Pediatr Pulmonol. 1995; 20:184–188 . © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.