Mortality and morbidity in children with asthma: A nationwide study in Korea.

Abstract Objective Childhood mortality due to asthma remains problematic; however, asthma-related mortality in Korean children has not been previously described. This study aimed to estimate asthma mortality and morbidity and determine to what extent asthma contributes to childhood mortality in Korea. Methods Data from 9 to 12 million children (aged  Results Asthma mortality decreased from 0.09 per 100,000 children in 2003 to 0.02 per 100,000 children in 2014, with an average mortality of 0.06 per 100,000 children. Mortality due to respiratory diseases was four times more common in patients with asthma than in the general population of children aged >5 years, despite decreases in asthma-related mortality. Asthma-related hospitalisations and intensive care interventions tended to decrease throughout the study period. Conclusions Asthma mortality declined in children between 2003 and 2015 in Korea. Children with asthma are at a higher risk of death from respiratory diseases than the general population.