Time to seeking emergency department care for asthma: self-management, clinical features at presentation, and hospitalization.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Understanding the events preceding emergency department (ED) asthma visits can guide patient education regarding managing exacerbations and seeking timely care. The objectives of this analysis were to assess time to seeking ED care, self-management of asthma exacerbations, and clinical status on presentation.

Methods

A total of 296 patients was grouped according to time to seeking ED care: ≤1 day (22%), 2-5 days (44%), and >5 days (34%) and was compared for clinical and psychosocial characteristics. Asthma severity at presentation was obtained from patient report with the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) and the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) and from physicians' ratings using decision to hospitalize as an indicator of worse status. RESULTS. Mean ag

SUBMITTER: Mancuso CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3357541 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature