Retrospective evaluation of patients hospitalized due to bronchial asthma during 1991-1995 at Dr. Sami Ulus Center for Pediatrics

Abstract

Introduction: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation. Bronchial asthma ‎is the most common chronic disease of childhood and is among the causes of frequent hospitalization in children. ‎This study aims to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients hospitalized due to ‎‎"bronchial asthma" within five years. Methods: The hospital records of patients aged 0-15 years admitted with the diagnosis of bronchial asthma to the Dr. Sami Ulus Center for Pediatrics between 1991-1995 were examined. The sociodemographic characteristics, ‎skin, and laboratory values of the patients and the medications they received were examined. ‎Results: Of the total 135 patients, 58.5% (n = 79) were males. The age distribution of the inpatients was mostly in ‎the age group of 3-5 years (57.8%, n = 78). The mean annual hospitalization rate was 0.53%. Patients ‎hospitalized for five days composed the largest group (39.3%, n = 53). Most of the hospitalized patients (74.1%; n = ‎‎100) were coming from urban settings. The most common pathologic condition on chest X-ray were increased ‎aeration + infiltration (52%, n = 70). Sinusitis was accompanied to 78.5% of the hospitalizations. There was ‎‎50.4% (n = 68) leukocytosis in the hemograms. Most sensitive skin tests were mixed grass pollen and house dust. ‎The primary medication used in prophylactic treatments was Ketotifen. Salbutamol was the most common ‎medication used in the emergency department, theophylline and antibiotics for the bedside, and salbutamol syrup ‎was the most prescribed medication for the discharged patients.‎ Conclusion: The greater proportion of male gender and 3-5 year-olds in the study group indicated that these risk ‎factors were consistent with the previous literature. The similarity of annual admission rates within the years indicates ‎that there is no change in asthma frequency in the population served over time. Even though the number of cases ‎requiring antibiotics in bronchial asthma is high (similar to sinusitis), we believe that the use of antibiotics should be ‎lowered. ‎

Keywords

• çocuk
• astım
• epidemiyoloji
• antibiyotik
• atopi
• child
• asthma
• epidemiology
• antibiotics
• atopy