Outpatient adult bronchial asthma in Singapore.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical pattern and drug use in adult bronchial asthma seen in Government polyclinics (primary health care centres).


METHODS
A cross-sectional study using a structured questionnaire.


METHODS
The five largest Government polyclinics in Singapore.


METHODS
Eight hundred and two subjects aged between 21-58 years drawn from the register of outpatient attendances. The response rate was 63%.


RESULTS
The mean age of the study subjects was 37.4 years and the mean age of onset was 19.2 years. Thirty-three percent had onset of asthma under 10 years old. The most commonly reported trigger factors were cold drinks (67%), a change of temperature or humidity (65%), influenza or colds (65%), house dust (58%) and cigarette smoke (37%). In 27%, the work environment was a provoking factor. One-fifth had attacks every night or every day. About half of the patients had FEV1 under 80% of predicted. In the past year, 10% had 4 or more acute attacks requiring emergency attendance, 18% had one or more hospital admissions and 21% had sickness absence from asthma for one week or more. Of the 186 subjects who needed bronchodilators/inhalers 3 times or more a day, only 19.3% were on inhaled steroids.


CONCLUSIONS
Considerable morbidity existed amongst outpatient asthmatics. Inhaled steroids appeared to be under-used.
Goh
L G
LG
Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore.
Ng
T P
TP
Hong
C Y
CY
Wong
M L
ML
Koh
K
K
Ling
S L
SL
D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology