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Published on: November 4, 2010
Asthma hospitalizations continue to decrease in schoolchildren but hospitalization rates for wheezing illnesses
G Wennergren1, I L Strannegård
1Department of Paediatrics, Göteborg University, Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden. goran.wennergren@pediat.gu.se
Asthma hospitalizations significantly decreased in children aged 5-18 due to increased inhaled corticosteroid use. However, younger children (0-4 years) did not experience similar reductions in asthma-related hospitalizations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Asthma remains a significant cause of childhood hospitalization.
- Understanding trends in pediatric asthma hospitalizations is crucial for public health.
- The impact of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on asthma management in children warrants investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in asthma hospitalization rates among children in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 1985 to 2000.
- To investigate the correlation between the delivery of inhaled corticosteroids and changes in asthma hospitalization rates across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- Population-based analysis of asthma hospitalization data in children aged 0-18 years.
- Correlation analysis between ICS delivery and hospitalization rates for asthma.
- Study conducted in Gothenburg, Sweden, covering the period 1985-2000.
Main Results:
- A significant, continuous decrease in asthma hospitalizations (hospital days, admissions, and individual patients) was observed in children aged 5-18 years throughout the study period.
- Hospital days for asthma in the 5-18 age group in 2000 were only 6% of the 1985 figure.
- An inverse correlation was found between ICS delivery and asthma hospitalizations in the 5-18 age group (r(s) = -0.95, p = 0.007 for hospital days).
- No decrease in hospitalizations for wheezing or asthma-like symptoms was observed in younger children (0-1 and 2-4 years) during 1991-2000.
Conclusions:
- The marked decrease in asthma hospitalization rates among schoolchildren (5-18 years) represents a significant advancement in pediatric respiratory medicine.
- The findings suggest a strong positive impact of inhaled corticosteroids on reducing asthma hospitalizations in older children.
- Hospitalization rates for wheezing illnesses in very young children (0-4 years) have not shown a similar decline, indicating a need for further research and targeted interventions.
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