Rubbing ointments and asthma morbidity in adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the relationship between the use of rubbing ointments and asthma morbidity in adolescents.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Inner-city high school in the Bronx, New York.


METHODS
165 adolescents with asthma.


METHODS
Asthma morbidity, defined as emergency department (ED) use for asthma in the past year and over the lifetime.


RESULTS
While 127 (77%) of subjects used albuterol as the first treatment for their last asthma attack, 18 (11%) used rubbing ointments. The rubs and albuterol groups were similar in asthma severity, mean age, gender, and ethnicity. However, subjects in the the rubs group were less likely than subjects in the albuterol group to have made an ED visit over the past 12 months or over their lifetime. Regression analysis revealed that, after controlling for asthma severity, use of rubs independently predicted less lifetime ED use.


CONCLUSIONS
After controlling for asthma severity, use of rubs by adolescents with asthma was associated with lower asthma morbidity as measured by ED use.
Reznik
Marina
M
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, 3415 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467, USA.
Sharif
Iman
I
Ozuah
Philip O
PO
D000293:Adolescent; D000420:Albuterol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002164:Camphor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D009824:Ointments / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013729:Terpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009824:Ointments; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013729:Terpenes; C009952:camphor, cedar leaf oil, eucalyptus oil, menthol, myristica oil, terebinth oil, thymol drug combination; D002164:Camphor; D000420:Albuterol