Characteristics of subjects (n (%)) admitted for asthma to the emergency department in 1985–9 who died during 1985–95, according to number of admissions and diagnosis
| Only one admission | More than one admission | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asthma | Asthma | Asthma/COPD | ||||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| Subjects admitted to emergency department for asthma (1985–9) | 1274 | 2221 | 399 | 741 | 537 | 438 |
| Asthmatics who died (1985–95) among those admitted to emergency department in 1985–9 | 183 (14) | 327 (15) | 31 (8) | 92 (12) | 253 (47) | 192 (44) |
| Age | ||||||
| <45 | 29 (16) | 16 (5) | 10 (32) | 5 (5) | 9 (3) | 1 (1) |
| 45–64 | 46 (25) | 53 (16) | 12 (39) | 28 (31) | 63 (25) | 20 (10) |
| 65–79 | 73 (40) | 112 (34) | 7 (23) | 39 (42) | 128 (51) | 92 (48) |
| ≥80 | 35 (19) | 146 (45) | 2 (6) | 20 (22) | 53 (21) | 79 (41) |
| Severity of emergency department visits | ||||||
| Treated and released within 24 h | 105 (59) | 155 (49) | 19 (61) | 51 (55) | 124 (49) | 76 (40) |
| Any admission to hospital | 70 (39) | 155 (49) | 12 (39) | 41 (45) | 127 (51) | 111 (59) |
| Any admission to ICU | 3 (2) | 7 (2) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 2 (1) |
| Cause of death (ICD-9) | ||||||
| Cardiovascular (390-459) | 36 (20) | 123 (38) | 8 (26) | 26 (28) | 48 (19) | 61 (32) |
| Myocardial infarction (410-414) | 14 (8) | 28 (9) | 4 (13) | 4 (4) | 15 (6) | 11 (6) |
| Respiratory (460-519) | 50 (27) | 81 (25) | 9 (29) | 40 (43) | 114 (45) | 82 (43) |
| COPD (490-492, 494-496) | 25 (14) | 34 (10) | 1 (3) | 8 (9) | 84 (33) | 41 (21) |
| Asthma (493) | 13 (7) | 34 (10) | 7 (23) | 29 (32) | 17 (7) | 29 (15) |
| Number of emergency department visits/1000 days | ||||||
| ≥2.26 (median) | 53 (29) | 100 (31) | 15 (48) | 31 (34) | 168 (66) | 114 (59) |
| <2.26 | 130 (71) | 227 (69) | 16 (52) | 61 (66) | 85 (34) | 78 (41) |
| Season of death | ||||||
| April–September (summer) | 88 (48) | 151 (46) | 17 (55) | 48 (52) | 117 (46) | 84 (44) |
| October–March (winter) | 95 (52) | 176 (54) | 14 (45) | 44 (48) | 136 (54) | 108 (56) |