Trends in hospital admission rates and drug treatment of asthma in New Zealand.
Trends in hospital admission rates from asthma and sales of anti-asthma drugs in New Zealand for the past two decades were examined. In this period there has been a marked increase in hospital admissions for asthma and in sales of anti-asthma medications. These findings and the recently reported increase in asthma mortality in New Zealand indicate that asthma is an important health problem in this country.
D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000639:trends*