title: Rubbing ointments and asthma morbidity in adolescents.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, 3415 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467, USA.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reznik
authors.forename: Iman
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sharif
authors.forename: Philip O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Ozuah
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: 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