The High Burden of Asthma Readmission Among Australian Children: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Worldwide, up to 40% of all asthma hospitalisations are due to repeat admissions. This study aimed to estimate the burden of asthma readmission among children aged 2 to 17 years in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

METHODS

A retrospective longitudinal whole-of-population-based cohort study was conducted using linked administrative data. Children born in NSW from 2005 to 2015 having at least one asthma hospitalisation after the age of 2 years were included in the study and followed up for 12 months from the asthma index hospitalisation. The incidence rates for asthma first readmission within 12 months and associated direct medical costs were calculated.

RESULTS

During 2007-2022, 48,217 asthma hospitalisations occurred in children, with 28,177 children hospitalised for asthma as a primary diagnosis identified as asthma index hospitalisations. Among them, 21.6% experienced first asthma readmissions within 12 months, including over 80% from the 2-4 years age group and a significant proportion from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. The overall incidence rate of first asthma readmission was 23.8 per 100 person-years and 28.7 per 100 person-years for children aged 2-4 years. The highest incidence rate (38.3 per 1000 person-months) occurred within 1 month. The total direct medical cost of the first asthma readmission within 12 months was AU$ 15.6 million.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that pre-school children have the highest rate of asthma readmission, with a significant economic burden highlighting the need for identifying modifiable factors such as asthma management after discharge to reduce the burden of asthma hospital readmission in children.