Demographic and clinical characteristics of study children at baseline
| Characteristics | Intervention (n=99) | Control (n=101) |
|---|---|---|
| Figures are numbers or medians (ranges) unless stated otherwise. | ||
| IQR = interquartile range; BTS = British Thoracic Society; NAC = National Asthma Campaign. | ||
| *In “beclomethasone equivalent” doses. | ||
| Sex (male:female) | 65:34 | 69:32 |
| Age (months) | 32 (18–61) | 32 (14–61) |
| Ethnic origin (Asian:West Indian:Caucasian:other) | 12:2:79:6 | 16:1:80:4 |
| Given a diagnosis of asthma | 63 | 75 |
| Previous admissions to hospital (median (IQR)) | 1 (0–3) | 1 (0–1.5) |
| Wheezing only with colds | 59 (60%) | 52 (51%) |
| Cough/wheezing episodes >2 days during last 12 months (median (IQR)) | 4 (2–6) | 3 (2–8) |
| Triggers (colds:exercise:pets:dust:other) | 88:27:4:5:3 | 85:29:7:7:7 |
| History of eczema:hayfever:food allergy | 53:2:8 | 55:10:11 |
| Preventer prescribed on discharge (fluticasone:beclomethasone:budesonide:cromoglycate) | 10:32:11:1 | 12:25:16:0 |
| Preventer daily dose prescribed on discharge (μg/day)* | 200 (200–1000) | 400 (80–800) |
| Reliever prescribed on discharge (salbutamol:terbutaline:ipratropium) | 78:11:1 | 77:16:0 |
| Step on BTS guideline at time of discharge (1:2:3:4) | 40:47:11:0 | 44:43:12:1 |
| Parents or caregivers had some prior knowledge of asthma | 48 | 49 |
| Prior sources of information (leaflets:GP:hospital doctor:magazines: hospital nurse:NAC) | 24:25:18:10:21:1 | 24:27:18:6:19:6 |