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Snapshot of acute asthma: treatment and outcome of patients with acute asthma treated in Australian emergency departments
journal contribution
posted on 2003-09-01, 00:00 authored by A-M Kelly, C Powell, Debra KerrDebra KerrAIMS: To characterize presentations due to acute asthma at Australian emergency departments (ED), including their severity, treatment and disposition. METHODS: This prospective, observational study involved 38 departments of emergency medicine throughout -Australia participating in the Snapshot of Asthma Study Group project 2000 and 2001. Data were collected for patients presenting with acute asthma between 21 August 2000 and 3 September 2000, and 20 August 2001 and 2 September 2001 and included demographics, severity classification, treatment and disposition. RESULTS: There were 1340 acute asthma presentations in the study periods. Of these presentations, 67% were for children aged <15 years. Asthma severity (according to the Australian National Asthma Guidelines classification) was 'mild' in 49% of cases; 'moderate' in 45% of cases; and 'severe' in 6% of cases. Treatment administered included: (i) salbutamol to 90%, (ii) ipratropium bromide to 59% and (iii) corticosteroids to 71%. Only six patients received aminophylline. Spacer use for salbutamol was rare (1%) in adults and only moderate (43%) in children. Sixty-five percent of patients were discharged home from the ED. Less than 1% of patients required ventilatory assistance, of which half was provided non-invasively. One percent of patients were admitted to the intensive-care unit or high-dependency unit. CONCLUSION: Overall adherence to treatment guidelines was good. There appears to be underuse of spacers and corticosteroids in some groups and overuse of ipratropium bromide. The majority of patients are treated and discharged from the ED.
History
Journal
Internal medicine journalVolume
33Issue
9-10Pagination
406 - 413Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing AsiaLocation
Richmond, Vic.Publisher DOI
ISSN
1444-0903Language
engPublication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
[2003, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia]Usage metrics
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No categories selectedKeywords
AdolescentAdultAnti-Asthmatic AgentsAsthmaAustraliaChildChild, PreschoolEmergency Medical ServicesGuideline AdherenceHumansInfantMaleMetered Dose InhalersMiddle AgedPractice Guidelines as TopicPractice Patterns, Physicians'Prospective StudiesmanagementoutcomeguidelinesScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineMedicine, General & InternalGeneral & Internal MedicineRANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-TRIALIPRATROPIUM BROMIDESPACERSALBUTAMOLNEBULIZERCHILDRENPRESSUREMODERATETHERAPY
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