Caracterização das admissões por asma ao serviço de urgência de um hospital central Asthmatic admissions in a central hospital emergency department

ABSTRACTBackground and methods : Asthma, a chronic disease with variable severity and frequent exacerbations, may lead to the emergency department (ED). In order to characterize asthmatics that, in 2008, were admitted in ED due to disease exacerbation, retrospective analysis of ED episodes records (“asthma” as main discharge’s diagnosis) was performed. Results : We analyzed 306 episodes, corresponding to 260 patients (60% female; 41.1 ± 20.1 years). According to Manchester triage, 53.3% were yellow, 43.5% orange, 2.3% red. Twenty four percent were previously followed by specialties, Allergology/Pneumology. Analyzing previous medication, 12.4% hadn’t any, 16.7% only β 2 SOS, 3% aminophylline, 3% long -acting β 2 ( β 2LA), 5.6% inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and 21.2% β 2LA/ICS, 9.2% antileukotrienes + others, 6% nebulizations with β 2 ± anticholinergics; 7% aminophylline + β 2LA/ICS, 4% systemic corticosteroids (CCS) and 2 under treatment with anti -IgE. In ED, 27 patients did nebulizations (