Asthma-related hospitalizations and lack of outpatient follow-up treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the children and adolescents with acute asthma attacks admitted to two public hospitals in the city of Recife, Brazil underwent outpatient follow-up treatment for the prevention and control of asthma.


METHODS
A prospective case series study of hospitalized patients with asthma. The patients were asked to complete a questionnaire at admission in order to determine the frequency of prophylactic outpatient follow-up treatment. Patients presenting two or more attacks of asthma that were responsive to bronchodilators were classified as having asthma.


RESULTS
In the intervals between asthma attacks, 67% (112/167--data regarding 2 patients were not available) of the patients had been treated only in the emergency room. Although 53.3%(89/167--data regarding 2 patients were not provided) of the patients had been referred to outpatient treatment, only 16% (27/169) had visited an outpatient asthma clinic regularly for preventive treatment, and only 13% (22/169) had used prophylactic medication.


CONCLUSIONS
Most of the children and adolescents hospitalized with asthma had not undergone preventive outpatient follow-up treatment. Various problems related to the health care system, such as non-referral for outpatient follow-up treatment at hospital discharge, limited access to outpatient clinics, and the cost of prophylactic medication, might have contributed to the low rate of outpatient follow-up treatment in the population studied. Public health care policies that allow asthma control programs to work effectively should be implemented.
Sarinho
Emanuel
E
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brasil. emanuel.sarinho@gmail.com
Queiroz
Gladys Reis e Silva de
GR
Dias
Maria Laura Campelo de Melo
ML
Queiroz e Silva
Alexandre Jorge
AJ
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents