Frequent Emergency Rooms Attendance by Asthmatics

This monograph aimed to investigate the role of asthma severity, health services utilisation and medication use in frequent ER attendance for asthmatics in Palestine and designed as cross-sectional study using a previously developed questionnaire. The results indicated that about 121 asthma patients, 73.5%, were frequent ER attendees during the previous year, with a mean 6.7 visits (standard error 0.75). Moderate/severe asthma and hospital admissions in the previous year due to asthma were the strongest predictors for frequent attendees (adjusted OR [AOR] 6.92, 95%CI 2.44-19.62 and 11.16, 95%CI 4.37-28, respectively). Frequent attendees reported more difficulties in using asthma inhalers compared to one-time ER attendees (AOR 2.49, 95%CI 1.04-5.99). Inhaled short-acting beta(2)-agonists were reported to be used regularly, on most days, by frequent attendees (or=1 canister/month) compared to one-time attendees (AOR 4.4, 95%CI 1.28-15 and 4.05, 95%CI 1.33-12, respectively). We concluded that the lack of proper use of inhalers and an over-reliance on reliever therapy contribute to asthma morbidity. Intervention programmes at the patients and professionals levels are recommended.