Hospital admissions for asthma in children: a prospective study.

One hundred consecutive admissions to hospital for asthma in children aged three to 14 were studied prospectively. There was considerable morbidity in these patients; the mean number of admissions for asthma was 5.7 and 46 percent of patients of school age had issued four weeks or more in the previous 12 months due to asthma. 27 percent of the patients were Polynesian Pacific Islanders (PI) compared to 7 percent in the Auckland urban areas (p less than 0.01). PI were readmitted more frequently during the study period compared to Europeans (p less than 0.005). No difference in the general form of asthma was seen between ethnic groups. However, there were marked socioeconomic differences implied by lower home ownership, larger families and relative overcrowding in the home of PI. The higher admission rates of PI may be related to these and to lower drug usage, in particular fewer patients were using sodium cromoglycate and different admission criteria.