Impact of an asthma management program on hospitalizations and emergency department visits.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the frequency of hospitalizations and emergency department visits of children and adolescents before and after the enrollment in an asthma program.

METHODS

Medical records of 608 asthmatics younger than 15 years were assessed retrospectively. The frequency of hospitalizations and emergency department visits caused by exacerbations were evaluated before and after enrollment in an asthma program. Patients were treated with medications and a wide prophylactic management program based on the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). The before asthma program (BAP) period included 12 months before enrollment, whereas the after asthma program (AAP) period ranged from 12 to 56 months after enrollment.

RESULTS

In the BAP period, there were 895 hospitalizations and 5,375 emergency department visits, whereas in the AAP period, there were 180 and 713, respectively. This decrease was significant in all statistical analyses (p = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

Compliance with the GINA recommendations led to a significant decrease in the frequency of hospitalizations and emergency department visits in children and adolescents with asthma.