Characteristics of asthmatic patients with and without repeat emergency department visits at an inner city hospital

Characteristics and outcomes associated with two asthma quality of care measures

OBJECTIVE

We investigated asthma quality measures to understand patient characteristics associated with non-attainment of quality care and measure the association with asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits or inpatient hospitalizations (IPs).

METHODS

Using administrative data from ALL Kids, Alabama's Children's Health Insurance Program, from 2013 to 2019 we calculated non-attainment of the Medication Management for Asthma (MMA) and Asthma Medication Ratio (AMR) quality measures. Patient characteristics and asthma-related ED visits and IPs associated with non-attainment of the MMA and AMR measures were assessed using logit regression models and Marginal effects at the mean.

RESULTS

Among 2528 children with asthma, 53.2% failed to attain the MMA measure and 8.5% the AMR measure. Prior asthma-related ED visits or IP stays increased likelihood of non-attainment by 14.8 percentage points (95% CI 8.6-20.9) for MMA and 7.3 percentage points (95% CI 2.8-11.8) for AMR. Among 868 children (34.3%) with three years of continuous enrollment, AMR non-attainment was associated with a 6.1 percentage point increase in ED or IP utilization (95% CI 1.3-10.9), however MMA non-attainment was not associated with either outcome. Prior ED visit/IP stay was associated with a 17.2 percentage point (95% CI 8.3-26.1) increase in the likelihood of a subsequent ED visit/IP stay among those with non-attainment MMA and a 15.5 percentage point increase (95% CI 6.9-24.2) for non-attainment AMR.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient characteristics associated with non-attainment of asthma quality measures presents actionable evidence to guide improvement efforts as non-attainment AMR increases the risk of subsequent ED visits and IP stays.

Children with poorly controlled asthma: Randomized controlled trial of a home-based environmental control intervention

BACKGROUND

Few trials have tested targeted environmental control (EC) interventions based on biomarkers of second hand smoke (SHS) exposure and allergen sensitization in reducing asthma emergency department (ED) visits in children with poorly controlled asthma.

METHODS

Overall, 222 children with poorly controlled asthma were randomized into a home-based EC intervention (INT) or control (CON) group and followed for ED visits over 12 months. All children received allergen-specific IgE serologic testing and SHS exposure biomarker testing to inform the EC intervention. Pharmacy data was examined for asthma medication fills. Cox proportional hazards and multivariate regression models were performed to examine factors associated with repeat ED visits.

RESULTS

There was no difference in increased risk of >1 ED visit at 12 months between INT and CON groups. Most children (75%) had moderate/severe persistent asthma. Over half (56%) had SHS exposure and 83% tested positive for >1 allergen sensitization. Among children without SHS exposure, the median time to first recurrent ED visit differed by group (CON: 195; INT: >365 days) after adjusting for child age, allergic sensitization, medication fills prior to baseline, controller medication use, and the interaction between group status and SHS exposure. Children who had positive allergic sensitizations, younger, had increased controller medication use and randomized to the CON group and had no SHS exposure had increased risk for a repeat ED visit over 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, a home-based EC intervention was not successful in reducing asthma ED revisits in children with poorly controlled asthma with SHS exposure. Allergic sensitization, young age, and increased controller medication use were important predictors of asthma ED visits.

Asthma over the Adult Life Course: Gender and Hormonal Influences

Asthma is a common disorder that affects genders differently across the life span. Earlier in life, it is more common in boys. At puberty, asthma becomes more common and often more severe in girls and women. The effect of sex hormones on asthma incidence and its severity is difficult to differentiate from other asthma severity risk factors, such as racial background, socioeconomic factors, obesity, atopy, environmental exposure, and, in particular, lung aging. Recognizing gender-associated and age-associated differences is important to understanding the pathobiology of asthma and to providing effective education and personalized care for patients with asthma across the life course.

Asthma exacerbations: factors related to longer hospital stay

BACKGROUND

Hospital admissions account for a significant part of asthma cost, but with significant differences between geographic areas.

AIMS

The aim of our study is to analyse hospital admissions due to asthma, as well as the factors associated with longer hospital stays.

METHODS

A review was retrospectively carried out on all admissions of patients over 18 years old due to exacerbation of asthma occurring in our hospital between the years 2000 and 2010. The personal characteristics of each patient, the asthma personal history, characteristics of every exacerbation, as well as the treatment before admission and after hospital discharge were recorded.

RESULTS

During the study period, there were 2163 hospital admissions in 1316 patients (mean age 62.6 years; mean hospital stay 11.6 days). The admissions mainly occur in winter, in the 56-75-year age group, and in patients with severe asthma. Female sex, higher comorbidity, a greater number of emergencies due to asthma in the previous year, and baseline treatment with theophylline were independently associated to longer hospital stay.

CONCLUSIONS

The management of asthma in our population seems improvable. There appears to be a need to optimise both the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, and to identify risk factors as important as tobacco habits. As regards exacerbations, the hospital stay and mortality must be significantly reduced.

Nurse Practitioners and Men's Primary Health Care

Though life expectancy sex differences are decreasing in many Western countries, men experience higher mortality rates at all ages. Men are often reluctant to seek medical care because health help-seeking is strongly linked to femininity, male weakness, and vulnerability. Many men are also more likely to access emergency care services in response to injury and/or severe pain instead of engaging primary health care (PHC) services. Nurse practitioners are well positioned to increase men's engagement with PHC to waylay the pressure on emergency services and advance the well-being of men. This article demonstrates how nurse practitioners can work with men in PHC settings to optimize men's self-health and illness prevention and management. Four recommendations are discussed: (1) leveling the hierarchies, (2) talking it through, (3) seeing diversity within patterns, and (4) augmenting face-to-face PHC services. In terms of leveling the hierarchies nurse practitioners can engage men in effectual health decision making. Within the interactions detailed in the talking it through section are strategies for connecting with male patients and mapping their progress. In terms of seeing diversity with in patterns and drawing on the plurality of masculinities, nurse practitioners are encouraged to adapt a variety of age sensitive assessment tools to better intervene and guide men's self-health efforts. Examples of community and web based men's health resources are shared in the augmenting face-to-face PHC services section to guide the work of nurse practitioners. Overall, the information and recommendations shared in this article can proactively direct the efforts of nurse practitioners working with men.

Asthma exacerbations: risk factors for hospital readmissions

OBJECTIVE

The aim of our study is to analyse hospital readmissions due to asthma, as well as the factors associated with their increase.

STUDY DESIGN

We carried out a retrospective study including all admissions of patients over 18 years old due to exacerbation of asthma occurring in our hospital between the years 2000 and 2010.

METHODS

The data were gathered by two members of the research team, by reviewing the clinical records. The first hospital admission of each patient was included for this study. An early readmission (ER) was defined as that which occurred in the following 15 days after hospital discharge and late readmission (LR) to that occurring from 16 days after discharge.

RESULTS

This study included 2166 hospital admissions and 1316 patients, with a mean age of 62.6 years. Of the 1316 patients analysed, 36 (2.7%) had one ER and 313 (23.8%) one LR. The only factor independently associated with a higher probability of an ER was poor lung function. A higher probability of LR was associated with a greater severity of the asthma (OR: 17.8, for severe asthma versus intermittent asthma), to have had any hospital admission in the previous year (OR: 3.5) and the use of a combination of ICS-LABA as maintenance treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

About 25% of the patients in our area admitted to hospital due to asthma exacerbation had repeat episodes of hospitalisation.

Risk factors associated with 30-day asthma readmissions

OBJECTIVES

Assess factors that increase the odds of 30-day asthma readmissions to hospitals.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review between 1/1/2002 to 12/31/2012 of pediatric and adult patients with the primary diagnosis of asthma readmitted within 30 days after the index admission was performed. Patients were identified from billing database for asthma ICD 9 code (493.9). Inclusion criteria were: physician confirmed asthma diagnosis, one or more asthma admissions and accessible medical records.

RESULTS

A total of 95 patients with multiple asthma readmissions were included in the final analysis. Thirty-seven patients (39%) were readmitted for asthma within 30 days and 58 patients (61%) had readmission in a 30-365-day period. Demographic characteristics were not significantly different between groups. Bivariate analysis showed that factors associated with higher likelihood of readmissions were a higher frequency of previous admissions, ED visits, inpatient hospitalizations, ICU stays, intubations, chest X-rays, history of chronic sinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, anxiety, and the use of tiotropium or a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA). Multivariable analysis confirmed that prior hospital admissions and a history of GERD are the strongest predictive factors for early asthma readmissions, yet a history of environmental allergies might be a protective factor (p = 0.053).

CONCLUSIONS

Non-allergic asthma patients with multiple prior admissions, ED visits and inpatient hospitalizations, on multiple medications with history of GERD, sinusitis, and anxiety are more likely to be readmitted within 30 days irrespective of other factors. Patients with these characteristics should be assessed for interventions in an effort to reduce early readmissions.

Asthma is Different in Women

Gender differences in asthma incidence, prevalence and severity have been reported worldwide. After puberty, asthma becomes more prevalent and severe in women, and is highest in women with early menarche or with multiple gestations, suggesting a role for sex hormones in asthma genesis. However, the impact of sex hormones on the pathophysiology of asthma is confounded by and difficult to differentiate from age, obesity, atopy, and other gender associated environmental exposures. There are also gender discrepancies in the perception of asthma symptoms. Understanding gender differences in asthma is important to provide effective education and personalized management plans for asthmatics across the lifecourse.