Table 1. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study patients.
| Factors | All (n = 3,240) | Mild and moderate asthma exacerbation (n = 2,577) | Severe and life-threatening asthma exacerbation (n = 652) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yr) | 57 (44–67) | 57 (44–64) | 59 (49.3–68) | 0.40 | |
| Sex | |||||
| Male | 1,369 (42.3) | 1,067 (41.4) | 299 (45.9) | 0.04 | |
| Disease course (yr) | 8 (2–20) | 7 (2–20) | 10 (3–20) | < 0.01 | |
| Smoking status (n = 3,230) | |||||
| Current smokers | 337 (10.4) | 252 (9.8) | 84 (12.9) | 0.02 | |
| Ex-smokers | 433 (13.4) | 319 (12.4) | 114 (17.5) | < 0.01 | |
| Non-smokers | 2,470 (76.2) | 2,006 (77.8) | 454 (69.6) | < 0.01 | |
| History of hospitalization or emergency care visit for asthma in the past year | 1,359 (41.9) | 1,061 (41.2) | 294 (45.1) | 0.07 | |
| Treatment before admission | |||||
| Using daily controllers regularly | 907 (28.0) | 711 (27.6) | 194 (29.8) | 0.27 | |
| Not currently using ICS | 1,287 (39.7) | 1,031 (40.0) | 254 (39.0) | 0.62 | |
| Currently using or having recently stopped using OCS | 161 (5.0) | 119 (4.6) | 41 (6.3) | 0.08 | |
| History of non-adherence | 1,067 (32.9) | 847 (32.9) | 216 (33.1) | 0.09 | |
| Comorbidities | |||||
| Hypertension | 733 (22.6) | 544 (21.1) | 187 (28.7) | < 0.01 | |
| Diabetes mellitus | 248 (7.7) | 186 (7.2) | 61 (9.4) | 0.08 | |
| Coronary heart disease | 248 (7.7) | 196 (7.6) | 51 (7.8) | 0.80 | |
| COPD | 421 (13.0) | 298 (11.6) | 123 (18.9) | < 0.01 | |
| Bronchiectasis | 119 (3.7) | 92 (3.6) | 27 (4.1) | 0.50 | |
| OSAHS | 56 (1.7) | 47 (1.8) | 8 (1.2) | 0.30 | |
| Allergic rhinitis | 477 (14.7) | 381 (14.8) | 94 (14.4) | 0.81 | |
| Sinusitis | 109 (3.4) | 81 (3.1) | 28 (4.3) | 0.15 | |
| Nasal polyps | 37 (1.1) | 26 (1.0) | 11 (1.7) | 0.15 | |
| Food allergy | 49 (1.5) | 32 (1.2) | 17 (2.6) | 0.01 | |
| GERD | 46 (1.4) | 42 (1.6) | 4 (0.6) | 0.08 | |
| Anxiety/depression | 24 (0.7) | 21 (0.8) | 3 (0.5) | 0.50 | |
| Triggering factor | |||||
| Acute upper airway infection | 1,370 (42.3) | 1,087 (42.2) | 283 (43.4) | 0.60 | |
| Weather changes | 738 (22.8) | 606 (23.5) | 133 (20.4) | 0.10 | |
| Noxious gas | 140 (4.3) | 111 (4.3) | 29 (4.4) | 0.90 | |
| Allergen exposure | 115 (3.5) | 100 (3.9) | 15 (2.3) | 0.07 | |
| Strenuous exercise | 57 (1.8) | 50 (1.9) | 7 (1.1) | 0.20 | |
| Air pollution | 49 (1.5) | 41 (1.6) | 8 (1.2) | 0.60 | |
Values are presented as median with quartiles or number of patients (%).
ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; OCS, oral corticosteroid; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; OSAHS, obstructive sleep apnea and hypoventilation syndrome; GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disease.