Abstract
Abstract Objectives: The aim of this study was to measure the occurrence of acute exacerbations of asthma at an Emergency Health Facility for the period 2010-12, and to describe its spatial distribution using ARC GIS
Highlights
It is estimated that about 300 million individuals of all ages and ethnic backgrounds live with asthma
Over the three year period 2010-2012 there was an increase in the occurrence of acute exacerbations of asthmatic requiring emergency care, emphasizing that Asthma is still an important Public Health challenge
Incidence is defined as the number of new cases of asthma that occur in a given period of time as compared to recurrent acute asthma [15]
Summary
It is estimated that about 300 million individuals of all ages and ethnic backgrounds live with asthma. This number is expected to increase to 400 million by 2025, which will increase the burden of providing care worldwide [1]. In the United States (US) asthma accounts for 25% of the 2 million visits to emergency rooms [2]. Asthma accounts for more than 10 million outpatient visits and 500,000 hospitalizations in the US yearly [2]. For the one year period 1999 in Trinidad 5.3% of all adult admissions and 23% of pediatric admission to the emergency room were asthma related [4]. As a result acute asthma impacts significantly on emergency facilities. Morbidity continues to be high despite effective treatments [5]. Consensus guidelines consistently highlight the aim and objectives of treatment: (1) to eliminate or minimize asthma symptoms, (2) to achieve the best possible lung function and (3) to prevent asthma exacerbations, the latter being the primary focus of this study [6,7]
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