title: Trends of asthma hospitalization and hospital mortality in mainland Portugal.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate nationwide asthma hospitalizations and hospital mortality from the year 2000 to 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the Health Services Central Administration of the Portuguese Ministry of Health on hospital admissions and hospital mortality in the National Health Service in mainland Portugal, from January 1st 2000 to December 31st 2010, were analysed. Cases with bronchial asthma as a main diagnosis were selected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a mean frequency of asthma hospitalizations of 2.5 / 1000 hospital admissions, 28.1 / 100,000 inhabitants (66.6/100,000 in < 19 years old). The global frequency of hospital admissions decreased 18.6% from 2000 to 2010 (r = -0.85, p = 0.002), and 47.0% in those aged 0 to 2 years old (r = -0.77, p = 0.008). There were 261 hospital deaths attributed to asthma (68.5% > 65 years old), accounting for an in-hospital mortality of 8.0 / 1000 asthma hospitalizations and 2.4 / 1,000,000 inhabitants, with no change throughout the years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asthma hospitalization rates have decreased, especially in younger children. Mortality remained unchanged, particularly in the elderly; this might be explained by deficient control in this age group.
authors.affiliation: Immunoallergy Department, CUF Descobertas Hospital and CUF Infante Santo, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Immunoallergy Department, CUF Descobertas Hospital and CUF Infante Santo, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bugalho de Almeida
authors.affiliation: Administração Central dos Serviços de Saúde / Health Services Central Administration, Portugal.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Covas
authors.affiliation: Administração Central dos Serviços de Saúde / Health Services Central Administration, Portugal.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Prates
authors.affiliation: Immunoallergy Department, CUF Descobertas Hospital and CUF Infante Santo, Lisbon, Portugal. Center for Research in Health Technologies and Information Systems, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. E-mail: mmoraisalmeida@netcabo.pt.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morais-Almeida
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: asthma; epidemiology; hospitalization; mortality; trend