All issues > Volume 32(2); 1989

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1989;32(2):215-222. Published online February 28, 1989.

An Epidemiological Study of Bronchial Asthma in Children Who Visited the Emergency Room.

Ju Kwan park¹, En Jung Kim¹, Bok Yang Pyun¹, Sang Jhoo Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Soon Chun Hyang University, Seoul, Korea

Received: October 4, 1988;  Accepted: October 4, 1988.

Abstract

Presently, an increasing incidence of Bronchial asthma in children is of concern to medical professionals. Worldwide data from surveys indicate a wide range for the prevalence of childhood asthma, it has been estimated that 5-10% of the young population. An epidemiological approach was used to test the prevalence of bronchial asthma out of all pediatric cases referred to the emergency room. 248 cases were selected among patients who have signs and/or of symptoms compatible with bronchial asthma out of 11,587 emergency visits from Jan. 1st, 1982 to Dec. 31st, 1986. The results are summarized as follows; 1) The total number of cases that visited the emergency room in the recent 5 years amounted to 11, 587, of which 248 were diagnosed as having childhood bronchial asthma. Average prevalence rate was 2.14%. The prevalence rate has increased annually from 1.62% in 1982 to 2.26% in 1986. 2) In the monthly review, the asthma prevalence rate was shown to at its peak during Sep. at 5.2 % and Oct. at 5.1 % and at a minimum in April at about 0.2% and May at 0.7%. 3) The study disclosed that a sharp climatic change over from warm to cold weather was related to each of the increases in asthma visits. During the 5 year period, relationship between low wind speed and high asthma visits on Sep. and Oct. was noted. 4) The highest prevalence rate was observed among the 2 to 5 year age group which comprised 39. 9% of the total. The number of childhood asthma cases in the 10 year age group has consistently increased with time from 6.3% in 1982 to 29.3% in 1986. Male asthmatics outnumber their female counterparts as 1.9 to 1 This male predominance gradually decreased as they grew older. 5) The asthma patients visited the emergency room most frequently from 10 PM to 2 AM(65 cases, 26.2%), followed by 61 cases(24.6%) form to 10 PM. The lowest visit frequency was revealed from 10 AM to 2 PM during which time 19 patients(17.7%) visited the ER.

Keywords :Epidemiologic study, Childhood asthma