Risk factors for pediatric asthma emergency visits. Milwaukee Childhood Asthma Project Team

The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for pediatric asthma emergency department (ED) visits. A cross-sectional sample of 307 families (24%) responded to a mailed survey. Respondents were similar to the target population of 2487 children with asthma. Thirty-seven percent of respondents had two or more asthma ED visits in the past year. Asthma ED use was associated with persistent asthma symptoms, parents without high school diplomas, age under 4 years, African-American race/ethnicity, use of written care plans, and use of spacers at school. The latter two variables were associated with severe asthma. High-risk children can be targeted for office-based medical care.