Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1989 Sep;44(9):700–705. doi: 10.1136/thx.44.9.700

Accident and emergency department attendance by asthmatic children.

S M O'Halloran 1, D P Heaf 1
PMCID: PMC462048  PMID: 2588204

Abstract

Attendances at the accident and emergency department of a children's hospital for treatment of acute asthma were studied for one year to determine the characteristics of the children attending and their management. Eight hundred and twenty children, median age 5.5 years, made 1389 visits. Records were available from 1046 visits. Clinical information and assessment of the severity of the attack in the department was often inadequate. Peak flow records were available for 366 (35%). Attendances were most frequent in September and during the evening, but there was no significant day to day variation. Eight hundred and three children (78%) were self referred. Before attendance 962 (92%) had used a bronchodilator, including nebulised salbutamol (11%); 2% had taken prednisolone and 21% antibiotics. Five hundred and sixteen visits (49%) led to admission and 19% of those admitted required intravenous treatment. Probably some children who at present attend hospital for treatment of acute asthma could be managed at home, but this cannot be assumed without better understanding of the reasons for hospital attendance. More information is needed.

Full text

PDF
700

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anderson H. R., Bailey P. A., Cooper J. S., Palmer J. C., West S. Medical care of asthma and wheezing illness in children: a community survey. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1983 Sep;37(3):180–186. doi: 10.1136/jech.37.3.180. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Anderson H. R., Bailey P., West S. Trends in the hospital care of acute childhood asthma 1970-8: a regional study. Br Med J. 1980 Nov 1;281(6249):1191–1194. doi: 10.1136/bmj.281.6249.1191. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Anderson H. R. Is the prevalence of asthma changing? Arch Dis Child. 1989 Jan;64(1):172–175. doi: 10.1136/adc.64.1.172. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ayres J. G. Trends in asthma and hay fever in general practice in the United Kingdom 1976-83. Thorax. 1986 Feb;41(2):111–116. doi: 10.1136/thx.41.2.111. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Carswell F. Thirty deaths from asthma. Arch Dis Child. 1985 Jan;60(1):25–28. doi: 10.1136/adc.60.1.25. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Conway S. P., Littlewood J. M. Admission to hospital with asthma. Arch Dis Child. 1985 Jul;60(7):636–639. doi: 10.1136/adc.60.7.636. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Deshpande A., McKenzie S. A. Short course of steroids in home treatment of children with acute asthma. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1986 Jul 19;293(6540):169–171. doi: 10.1136/bmj.293.6540.169. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Horn C. R., Clark T. J., Cochrane G. M. Is there a circadian variation in respiratory morbidity? Br J Dis Chest. 1987 Jul;81(3):248–251. doi: 10.1016/0007-0971(87)90157-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Karetzky M. S. Asthma in the South Bronx: clinical and epidemiologic characteristics. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1977 Dec;60(6):383–390. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(77)90070-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Khot A., Evans N., Lenney W. Seasonal trends in childhood asthma in south east England. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1983 Oct 29;287(6401):1257–1258. doi: 10.1136/bmj.287.6401.1257. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lee D. A., Winslow N. R., Speight A. N., Hey E. N. Prevalence and spectrum of asthma in childhood. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1983 Apr 16;286(6373):1256–1258. doi: 10.1136/bmj.286.6373.1256. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McFadden E. R., Jr, Kiser R., DeGroot W. J. Acute bronchial asthma. Relations between clinical and physiologic manifestations. N Engl J Med. 1973 Feb 1;288(5):221–225. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197302012880501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. McKenzie S. A., Edmunds A. T., Godfrey S. Status asthmaticus in children: a one-year study. Arch Dis Child. 1979 Aug;54(8):581–586. doi: 10.1136/adc.54.8.581. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mitchell E. A. International trends in hospital admission rates for asthma. Arch Dis Child. 1985 Apr;60(4):376–378. doi: 10.1136/adc.60.4.376. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. O'Halloran S. M., Heaf D. P. Recurrent accident and emergency department attendance for acute asthma in children. Thorax. 1989 Aug;44(8):620–626. doi: 10.1136/thx.44.8.620. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Ownby D. R., Abarzua J., Anderson J. A. Attempting to predict hospital admission in acute asthma. Am J Dis Child. 1984 Nov;138(11):1062–1066. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1984.02140490062015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Reed S., Diggle S., Cushley M. J., Sleet R. A., Tattersfield A. E. Assessment and management of asthma in an accident and emergency department. Thorax. 1985 Dec;40(12):897–902. doi: 10.1136/thx.40.12.897. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rubinfeld A. R., Pain M. C. Perception of asthma. Lancet. 1976 Apr 24;1(7965):882–884. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)92097-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Speight A. N., Lee D. A., Hey E. N. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of asthma in childhood. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1983 Apr 16;286(6373):1253–1256. doi: 10.1136/bmj.286.6373.1253. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Turner-Warwick M. On observing patterns of airflow obstruction in chronic asthma. Br J Dis Chest. 1977 Apr;71(2):73–86. doi: 10.1016/0007-0971(77)90086-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES