Table 1.

Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Patients Discharged With Asthma Exacerbations: Comparison of 2000 and 2008

Patient Characteristics	2000	2008	P
Total	226,385	262,190
Mean age ± SD y	50.6 ± 18.1	55.2 ± 17.8	< .001
Age category, %
18–34 y*	20.4	13.1	< .001
35–49 y*	31.7	26.2	< .001
50–64 y*	23.3	29.5	< .001
65–79 y*	17	20.2	< .001
80 y or older*	7.6	11	< .001
Gender, %
Female*	73.8	72.4	0.004
Race, %
Caucasian	43.8	46.9	0.20
African-American	18.4	19.9	0.41
Hispanic	9.5	10	0.75
Asian or Pacific Islander	1.6	1.5	0.70
Other	2.7	3.0	0.81
Unknown*	23.9	18.6	0.04
Payer, %
Medicare*	30.5	40	< .001
Medicaid	20.2	19.2	0.51
Private*	36.9	28.3	< .001
Self	8.3	8.4	0.89
Other	4.2	4.2	0.9
Charlson/Deyo comorbidity index,* %
1–2*	94.9	86.2	< .001
3–4*	3.8	10.6	< .001
5–6*	0.1	1.7	< .001
7 or more	1.2	1.5	0.07
Comorbidities, %
Diabetes mellitus*	16.5	26.7	< .001
Congestive heart failure*	6.7	11.9	< .001
Morbid obesity*	3.2	9.4	< .001
Cancer*	4.0	6.2	< .001
Alcoholism*	1.6	2.1	< .001
Smoking*	15	33.2	< .001
OSA*	2.7	10.3	< .001
Hospital characteristics, %
Teaching	41.6	42.2	0.88
Hospital size
Small	12.5	14.2	< .001
Medium	31.9	26.1	< .001
Large	55.6	59.7	< .001
Hospital ownership
Government, nonfederal	14.7	13.5	< .001
Private, nonprofit	73.3	72.3	0.74
Private, investor-owned	12.0	14.2	< .001
Mechanical ventilation, n (%)
Total NIV*	796 (0.35)	4908 (1.9)	< .001
NIV in patients without OSA*	486 (0.21)	2987 (1.1)	< .001
Total invasive mechanical ventilation*	3095 (1.4)	1931 (0.73)	< .001
Any mechanical ventilation (invasive mechanical ventilation + NIV)	3891 (1.8)	6839 (2.6)	< .001

^*Significant difference between 2000 and 2008 at P < .05

OSA = obstructive sleep apnea

NIV = noninvasive ventilation