Acute severe asthma in Trinidad and Tobago.
METHODS
Accident and emergency department, General Hospital, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.


OBJECTIVE
To measure the occurrence and clinical management of acute severe asthma.


METHODS
Data collected prospectively for consecutive attendees with asthma over a period of 3 months.


RESULTS
Asthma accounted for 8.8% of attendances. Treatment for the acute attack included nebulised salbutamol in 1031 (85%) and nebulised atrovent in 769 (63%). Systemic corticosteroids were given to 623 (51%) patients. Only 247 (20%) had planned follow-up arrangements recorded. Usual maintenance treatment included inhaled salbutamol in 767 (63%) and inhaled corticosteroid in 286 (24%). Inhaled corticosteroids were more often used by patients aged > or =15 years or who had had previous hospital admissions for asthma.


CONCLUSIONS
The survey identified deficiencies in the clinical management of acute asthma attacks and in longterm asthma care. Caribbean guidelines for asthma care have subsequently been published, and follow-up surveys should be carried out to evaluate their implementation.
Mahabir
D
D
The General Hospital, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Pooran
S
S
Motilal
H
H
Ishmael
M
M
Hinds
N
N
Gulliford
M C
MC
D000328:Adult; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago / Q000453:epidemiology
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents