Comparison of the characteristics of children with multiple admissions to hospital for asthma with those with a single admission.

Hospital admission rates in children for asthma have increased strikingly and part of this increase is due to an increase in the readmission rate. The study compared the characteristics of European children with multiple admission to hospital for asthma with those having their first admission for asthma. The number and magnitude of the differences found were small. Differences found included asthma drug management in the 24 hours prior to the index admission and six months later and days lost from school. Twenty-four percent of study population were readmitted within six months. The number of parents who smoked and the number of pets in the home are of concern and the lack of difference between the multiple and single admission groups suggest our education efforts are ineffectual at altering parental behaviour.