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Outcomes of emergency room treatment of children with asthma
A M Butz1, P Eggleston, C Alexander
1School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
Insights
Many children experience lingering asthma symptoms and medication needs for weeks after emergency care. Relapse rates were 26%, linked to factors like maternal smoking and prior hospitalizations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Respiratory Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Acute asthma episodes in children frequently necessitate emergency room (ER) treatment.
- Understanding post-ER care and relapse factors is crucial for effective asthma management in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine symptom duration, medication use, and follow-up care in children after ER treatment for acute asthma.
- To identify factors associated with relapse in pediatric asthma patients.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study of two groups of children: Short-course (N=90) and Continuous Medication Users (N=46).
- Data collected over an 8-week follow-up period post-ER visit for acute asthma.
- Analysis of factors correlating with asthma relapse, defined as a return ER visit.
Main Results:
- Over one-third of Short-Course Users reported symptoms up to 6 weeks post-episode.
- 31% of Short-Course Users were still using medication at 8 weeks.
- A 26% relapse rate was observed across all study children.
- Maternal smoking, female gender, prior asthma hospitalization, cough, and follow-up medication use were linked to relapse.
Conclusions:
- Asthma symptoms and medication needs can persist for weeks after initial ER treatment in children.
- Relapse is a significant concern, affecting over a quarter of children post-ER visit.
- Identifying risk factors like maternal smoking and prior hospitalizations can inform targeted interventions to prevent pediatric asthma relapse.
Abstract:
Duration of symptoms, medication use and follow-up medical care were examined over an 8-week period in children following emergency room treatment for an acute asthma episode. Two groups of children were compared: Short-course (N = 90) and Continuous Medication Users (N = 46). Over a third of Short-Course Users continued to report symptoms up to 6 weeks following the index episode with 31% reporting medication use at 8 weeks. Relapse, resulting in an emergency room visit, occurred in 26% of all study children. Factors associated with relapse included maternal smoking, female gender, prior hospitalization for asthma, cough, and medication use during the follow-up period.