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November 2006
Asthma
Prevalence, Health Care Use and Mortality:
|
Days missed 2002 2003 |
2002 | 2003 |
School days, children 5-17 years | 14.7 million | 12.8 million |
Work days, currently employed adults 18 years and over | 11.8 million | 10.1 million |
Source: National Health Interview Survey, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC
Health Care Use, 2004
Health care
use for asthma includes outpatient visits to doctors’ offices and
hospital outpatient departments, visits to hospital emergency
departments (EDs), and hospitalizations. Information about Hispanic
origin is not consistently available in national health care utilization
data and, therefore, is not presented.
Outpatient asthma visits
In 2004,
there were 14.7 million outpatient asthma visits to physician offices
and hospital outpatient departments, or 508 per 10,000 people (Figure
4). Children had 7.0 million visits and an outpatient visit
rate of 958 per 10,000 children, and adults had a rate of 356 per 10,000
adults. Black people had an outpatient visit rate about 18% higher than
white people. Females had a 20% higher outpatient visit rate compared to
males.
Emergency department asthma
visits
There were
1.8 million visits to emergency departments (EDs) for asthma in 2004, or
64 per 10,000 people (Figure 5).
Children had over 754,000 ED visits, a rate of 103 per 10,000 children.
The ED visit rate was highest among children aged 0-4 years at 168 per
10,000 (data not shown). Adults had 50 ED visits per 10,000 adults. The
ED visit rate for black people was 350% higher than that for white
people.
Hospitalization for asthma
There were
497,000 asthma hospitalizations in 2004, or 17 per 10,000 people (Figure
6). Among children 0-17 years, there were 198,000
hospitalizations (27 per 10,000). Hospitalizations were highest among
children 0-4 years, 60 hospitalizations per 10,000 (data not shown). The
asthma hospitalization rate for black people was 240% higher than for
white people. Females had a hospitalization rate about 35% higher than
males.
Mortality, 2003
In 2003,
4,055 people died from asthma, or 1.4 per 100,000 people (Figure
7). Among children, asthma deaths are rare. In 2003, 195
children died from asthma, or 0.3 deaths per 100,000 children compared
to 1.4 deaths per 100,000 adults. Puerto Ricans were the most likely to
die from asthma and had asthma death rate 360% higher than non-Hispanic
white people. Non-Hispanic black people had an asthma death rate 200%
higher than non-Hispanic white people. Females had an asthma death rate
45% higher than males.
Data Sources
Prevalence: National Health Interview Survey
See
also: Summary
Health Statistics for U.S. Children
Summary Health
Statistics for U.S. Adults
Outpatient visits: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey
Emergency department visits: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey
Hospitalizations: National Hospital Discharge Survey
Mortality: Mortality component of the National Vital Statistics System
U.S. Populations to calculate health care utilization and death rates: noninstitutionalized civilian population (outpatient visit and emergency department visit rates), civilian population (hospitalization rates), and residential population (mortality rates): U.S. Bureau of the Census monthly population estimates 2000-2005 (revised May 9, 2006). Residential population (mortality rates for Mexican and Puerto Rican subgroups): Technical Notes, Table V, Deaths, Final Data for 2003.
More information
Data on asthma
CDC’s Asthma Data and Surveillance
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summaries: Surveillance for Asthma --- United States, 1980--1999, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Morbidity and Mortality Chartbook
Economic and social costs
Weiss KB, Sullivan SD. The health economics of asthma and rhinitis. I. Assessing the economic impact. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2001;107:3-8.
Asthma management and medical professional and patient education
National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel Reports:
Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, 1997
Update on Selected Topics, 2002
Facts About Controlling Your Asthma, NIH Publication No. 97-2339
Action Against Asthma: A Strategic Plan for the Department of Health and Human Services (May 2000)
About asthma management, American Lung Association
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This page last reviewed September 09, 2008
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