Poor Adherence With Medication Refill and Medical Supplies Maintenance as Risk Factors for Inpatient Asthma Admission in Children

Background. Asthma results in significant pediatric hospitalizations in the inner city. Many asthmatic children were admitted to our hospital as a result of lack of medications or medical supplies that had been previously prescribed (“ran out,” “broken,” or “lost”). Objective. To identify the incidence of children admitted for asthma because of lack of prescribed medications/supplies and to assess risk factors for poor adherence between groups. Methods. This was a prospective chart review of 200 asthmatic children admitted to Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Detroit. The data included asthma severity, lack of prescribed medications/medical supplies, and outpatient management. Results. In all, 35.5% or 71/200 of asthmatic children admitted had lack of prescribed medication/supplies (9% lacked both). The most common deficiency was β2-agonist (20.5%; 41/200). Teenagers had the highest lack of medications/medical supplies (55.6%; 5/9) compared with toddlers (17.2%; 16/93) and preschoolers (17.9%; 5/28). Patie...