Abstract
Background: September asthma epidemic has been well documented. Whether a similar pattern of asthma exacerbation is observed in children returning to school from winter and spring break is unknown.
Objective: To assess whether the September asthma epidemic occurs in Olmsted County, Minnesota and determine whether similar asthma epidemics occur after winter and spring break.
Methods: The study included all asthmatic children ages 5-18 who had received medical care at our institution as of March 12, 2008 (n=3092). Asthma status was defined by physician diagnosis in the medical records. We compared the frequency of all asthma-related hospitalizations, ED visits, outpatient visits, and corticosteroid therapies for acute asthma symptoms between August and September of 2008 and 2009. Similarly we compared the frequency of all asthma-related visits or treatments between during and after spring break and between during and after winter break.
Results: The frequency of asthma-related visits and treatments in September of 2008 and 2009 was 2.1% per person-month, which was significantly greater than that in August of 2008 and 2009 (1.1% per person-month) (p=0.003). Similarly, the frequency of asthma-related visits and therapies during the period after spring break of 2008 and 2009 (1.89% per person-month) tended to be greater than that during spring break (0.75% per person-month) (p = 0.063). There was no difference in asthma-related visits or therapies during and after winter break (p=0.59).
Conclusions: The September asthma epidemic does occur in our study setting, but this may not be a September-specific concern. Clinicians should consider a step-up therapy and reinforce medication compliance for asthma exacerbation-prone children returning to school.
- © 2011 ERS