Rise in Prevalence of Asthma As a Secondary Diagnosis

WASHINGTON — The prevalence of asthma as a principal reason for hospitalization has remained steady, but its prevalence as a secondary diagnosis has increased by 113% in hospitalized adults and by 54% in hospitalized children, based on approximately 9 years of data from two large databases.

The number of adult hospital stays with asthma as a secondary diagnosis rose from 753,800 in 1997 to nearly 1.5 million in 2005. (For 2006, the number was estimated at slightly more than 1.6 million, based on incomplete data.) The number of pediatric hospital stays with asthma as a secondary diagnosis rose from 128,300 in 1997 to 197,000 in 2006.

The five most common reasons for hospital stays in 2006 in adults with asthma as secondary diagnosis were pneumonia (6.6%), heart failure (3.9%), nonspecific chest pain (3.8%), osteoarthritis (3.3%), and mood disorders (3.3%). The five most common reasons for hospital stays in children with asthma as a secondary diagnosis were pneumonia (27%), acute bronchitis (8.8%), mood disorders (5.5%), appendicitis (2.7%), and fluid and electrolyte disorders (2.4%), reported Chaya Merrill, M.P.H., Dr.P.H., of Thomson Reuters, and her colleagues.

They reviewed data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), a collection of databases supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The results were presented in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

The data for the study were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), which includes 90% of adult hospitalizations, and the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), which represents 80% of pediatric hospitalizations.

In adults, the hospitalizations involving asthma as either a primary or secondary diagnosis were highest in those aged 65 years and older. Overall, hospitalization rates rose with increasing age, starting at 18 years.

In children, hospitalizations involving asthma as a primary or secondary diagnosis were highest in those younger than 1 year (about 8 per 1,000 children) and lowest among those aged 15-17 years (about 2 per 1,000 children).

In adults, average rates of hospitalization with asthma as a secondary condition were highest in the Northwest and Midwest, and were lower in the South and West (10.6, 8.7, 6.9, and 6.0 stays per 1,000 persons, respectively). In children, average rates of hospitalization with asthma as a secondary condition were 3 stays per 1,000 persons in the Northeast, Midwest, and South, and 2 stays per 1,000 persons in the West.

For both adults and children, rates of hospitalization with asthma as either a primary or secondary diagnosis were higher in communities with a median income of $38,000 or less than in wealthier communities, the researchers noted.

The study was sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a branch of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

WASHINGTON — The prevalence of asthma as a principal reason for hospitalization has remained steady, but its prevalence as a secondary diagnosis has increased by 113% in hospitalized adults and by 54% in hospitalized children, based on approximately 9 years of data from two large databases.

The number of adult hospital stays with asthma as a secondary diagnosis rose from 753,800 in 1997 to nearly 1.5 million in 2005. (For 2006, the number was estimated at slightly more than 1.6 million, based on incomplete data.) The number of pediatric hospital stays with asthma as a secondary diagnosis rose from 128,300 in 1997 to 197,000 in 2006.

The five most common reasons for hospital stays in 2006 in adults with asthma as secondary diagnosis were pneumonia (6.6%), heart failure (3.9%), nonspecific chest pain (3.8%), osteoarthritis (3.3%), and mood disorders (3.3%). The five most common reasons for hospital stays in children with asthma as a secondary diagnosis were pneumonia (27%), acute bronchitis (8.8%), mood disorders (5.5%), appendicitis (2.7%), and fluid and electrolyte disorders (2.4%), reported Chaya Merrill, M.P.H., Dr.P.H., of Thomson Reuters, and her colleagues.

They reviewed data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), a collection of databases supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The results were presented in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

The data for the study were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), which includes 90% of adult hospitalizations, and the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), which represents 80% of pediatric hospitalizations.

In adults, the hospitalizations involving asthma as either a primary or secondary diagnosis were highest in those aged 65 years and older. Overall, hospitalization rates rose with increasing age, starting at 18 years.

In children, hospitalizations involving asthma as a primary or secondary diagnosis were highest in those younger than 1 year (about 8 per 1,000 children) and lowest among those aged 15-17 years (about 2 per 1,000 children).

In adults, average rates of hospitalization with asthma as a secondary condition were highest in the Northwest and Midwest, and were lower in the South and West (10.6, 8.7, 6.9, and 6.0 stays per 1,000 persons, respectively). In children, average rates of hospitalization with asthma as a secondary condition were 3 stays per 1,000 persons in the Northeast, Midwest, and South, and 2 stays per 1,000 persons in the West.

For both adults and children, rates of hospitalization with asthma as either a primary or secondary diagnosis were higher in communities with a median income of $38,000 or less than in wealthier communities, the researchers noted.

The study was sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a branch of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

WASHINGTON — The prevalence of asthma as a principal reason for hospitalization has remained steady, but its prevalence as a secondary diagnosis has increased by 113% in hospitalized adults and by 54% in hospitalized children, based on approximately 9 years of data from two large databases.

The number of adult hospital stays with asthma as a secondary diagnosis rose from 753,800 in 1997 to nearly 1.5 million in 2005. (For 2006, the number was estimated at slightly more than 1.6 million, based on incomplete data.) The number of pediatric hospital stays with asthma as a secondary diagnosis rose from 128,300 in 1997 to 197,000 in 2006.

The five most common reasons for hospital stays in 2006 in adults with asthma as secondary diagnosis were pneumonia (6.6%), heart failure (3.9%), nonspecific chest pain (3.8%), osteoarthritis (3.3%), and mood disorders (3.3%). The five most common reasons for hospital stays in children with asthma as a secondary diagnosis were pneumonia (27%), acute bronchitis (8.8%), mood disorders (5.5%), appendicitis (2.7%), and fluid and electrolyte disorders (2.4%), reported Chaya Merrill, M.P.H., Dr.P.H., of Thomson Reuters, and her colleagues.

They reviewed data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), a collection of databases supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The results were presented in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

The data for the study were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), which includes 90% of adult hospitalizations, and the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), which represents 80% of pediatric hospitalizations.

In adults, the hospitalizations involving asthma as either a primary or secondary diagnosis were highest in those aged 65 years and older. Overall, hospitalization rates rose with increasing age, starting at 18 years.

In children, hospitalizations involving asthma as a primary or secondary diagnosis were highest in those younger than 1 year (about 8 per 1,000 children) and lowest among those aged 15-17 years (about 2 per 1,000 children).

In adults, average rates of hospitalization with asthma as a secondary condition were highest in the Northwest and Midwest, and were lower in the South and West (10.6, 8.7, 6.9, and 6.0 stays per 1,000 persons, respectively). In children, average rates of hospitalization with asthma as a secondary condition were 3 stays per 1,000 persons in the Northeast, Midwest, and South, and 2 stays per 1,000 persons in the West.

For both adults and children, rates of hospitalization with asthma as either a primary or secondary diagnosis were higher in communities with a median income of $38,000 or less than in wealthier communities, the researchers noted.

The study was sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a branch of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.