Use of inhaled medications and urgent care services. Study of Canadian asthma patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine asthma patients' patterns of disease and knowledge of asthma.


METHODS
Telephone survey of patients with diagnosed asthma.


METHODS
Residences in 10 Canadian provinces.


METHODS
Patients with asthma diagnosed by a doctor: 829 men and women with a mean age of 38 +/- 7 years.


METHODS
Classes of asthma medications, patterns of use, frequency and severity of asthma symptoms use of emergency departments and urgent medical services, participation in asthma education programs, presence of environmental triggers, and knowledge of asthma pathophysiology and treatment.


RESULTS
Four hundred fifty-six patients (55%) reported daily symptoms of asthma; 431 patients (52%) used inhaled beta 2-agonists daily. Only 340 patients (41%) used inhaled corticosteroids (IC), and many used them irregularly. A total of 579 (72%) respondents reported no unscheduled visits to a family physician for worsening asthma, but one third of patients had been to an emergency department for uncontrolled asthma in the last 5 years, and most of these visits had occurred during the last year. As to knowledge, 406 patients (49%) disagreed with the statement that asthma is a lifelong condition that cannot be cured. Among IC users, only 101 (30%) knew that IC reduced airway inflammation; among beta 2-agonist users, only 33% agreed that beta 2-agonists opened the bronchial tubes. Two hundred forty patients (29%) reported being current cigarette smokers, and 381 (46%) reported having pets at home.


CONCLUSIONS
Daily symptoms and daily use of beta 2-agonists are common among Canadian asthma patients, and this is in excess of what is considered acceptable by current asthma care guidelines. Underuse of IC, inadequate knowledge of asthma symptoms and treatments, and failure to avoid asthma triggers were common in the population studied.
Joyce
D P
DP
Department of Respiratory Disease, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON.
McIvor
R A
RA
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma; D002170:Canada; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones