Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/11054/271
Title: Snapshot of acute asthma: treatment and outcomes of patients with acute asthma treated in Australian emergency departments.
Authors: Kelly, A. M.
Powell, C.
Kerr, D.
Institutional Author: The Asthma Snapshot Study Group
Issue Date: 2003
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Place of publication: Wellington, New Zealand
Publication Title: Internal Medicine Journal
Volume: 33
Issue: 9-10
Start Page: 406
End Page: 413
Abstract: Aims: To characterize presentations due to acute asthma at Australian emergency departments (ED), including their severity, treatment and disposition. Methods: This prospective, observational study involved 38 departments of emergency medicine throughout ­Australia participating in the Snapshot of Asthma Study Group project 2000 and 2001. Data were collected for patients presenting with acute asthma between 21 August 2000 and 3 September 2000, and 20 August 2001 and 2 September 2001 and included demographics, severity classification, treatment and disposition. Results: There were 1340 acute asthma presentations in the study periods. Of these presentations, 67% were for children aged <15 years. Asthma severity (according to the Australian National Asthma Guidelines classifi­cation) was ‘mild’ in 49% of cases; ‘moderate’ in 45% of cases; and ‘severe’ in 6% of cases. Treatment administered included: (i) salbutamol to 90%, (ii) ipratropium bromide to 59% and (iii) corticosteroids to 71%. Only six patients received aminophylline. Spacer use for sal­butamol was rare (1%) in adults and only moderate (43%) in children. Sixty-five percent of patients were discharged home from the ED. Less than 1% of patients required ventilatory assistance, of which half was provided non-invasively. One percent of patients were admitted to the intensive-care unit or high-dependency unit. Conclusion: Overall adherence to treatment guidelines was good. There appears to be underuse of spacers and corticosteroids in some groups and overuse of ipra­tropium bromide. The majority of patients are treated and discharged from the ED. This study was undertaken with data obtained from Ballarat Health Services - G. Campaign.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/11054/271
ISSN: 1444-0903
Internal ID Number: 00266
Health Subject: ASTHMA
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
EMERGENCY MEDICINE
MANAGEMENT
OUTCOME
GUIDELINES
MEDICATION
Type: Journal Article
Article
Appears in Collections:Research Output

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