PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - K Priftis
AU  - J Anagnostakis
AU  - E Harokopos
AU  - I Orfanou
AU  - M Petraki
AU  - P Saxoni-Papageorgiou
TI  - Time trends and seasonal variation in hospital admissions for childhood asthma in the Athens region of Greece: 1978-88.
AID  - 10.1136/thx.48.11.1168
DP  - 1993 Nov 01
TA  - Thorax
PG  - 1168--1169
VI  - 48
IP  - 11
4099  - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/48/11/1168.short
4100  - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/48/11/1168.full
SO  - Thorax1993 Nov 01; 48
AB  - BACKGROUND--The aim of the study was to determine the trend and seasonal variation in hospital admissions for childhood asthma in the Athens region of Greece. METHODS--Data were obtained from hospital registries of the three main children's hospitals in Athens between 1978 and 1988. Children admitted with the diagnosis of asthma, asthmatic bronchitis, or wheezy bronchitis were included. The data were expressed as admission rates per 100,000 of the same aged population. RESULTS--There were 9795 admissions for asthma over the 11 years and the admission rate rose by 294%. Admissions among those aged 0-4 and 5-14 rose by 272% and 379% respectively. Monthly admissions showed a pronounced seasonal variation, rising during the cold damp period in the 0-4 age group, but peaking around May in the 5-14 age group. CONCLUSIONS--These findings suggest that hospital admissions due to asthma in the Athens region have increased considerably since 1978, and that clear cut seasonal variations exist which are specific to age.