328 Epidemiology of Asthma Cases in the Allergy Service of a Third Level Medical Center. Six Year Expirience

BACKGROUND: The creation of an Allergy service was required because of the high frequency of allergic diseases among paediatric population in the general consultation of a third level medical centre. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to report the cases of asthma diagnosed in the Allergy service from a Third level medical centre since its creation in July 2005. METHODS: This is a descriptive, retrospective, transversal study from July 2005 to February 2011. Selected medical records of patients apply for diagnostic criteria for an allergy disease. GINA guide 2009 was used to make diagnosis of asthma. Patients were classified by age and sex and find out how many of them skin prick test were made and also how many patients began treatment with immunotherapy. RESULTS: Thirteen thousand seven hundred thirty seven consultations were attended in the Allergy service between the time period mentioned above. Two thousand three hundred thirty seven medical records of patients were selected, 1608 patients applied for a specific diagnosis for an allergy disease as follows: Asthma 411, Atopic Conjunctivitis 58, Atopic Dermatitis 180, Allergic Rhinitis 869, Urticaria 90. Four hundred eleven patients completed criteria for Asthma. Two hundred thirteen (51.8%) patients were female, 198 (48.2%) patients were male. Two hundred twenty seven (55.2%) patients were found to be in the range of 0 to 9 years, 141 (62.1%) of them were between 5 to 9 years. The majority of asthma patients were males in the range of 5 to 9 years. Some increase in asthma cases were found in females between 30 and 40 years of age, 75 (35.2%) of total female cases, about 18% of total cases of asthma. Skin prick test were made in 164 (40%) asthma patients. In 134 were positive to a specific allergen and began immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Asthma represents the second highest incidence in allergy diseases among children. However, it is the main cause of hospitalization among allergy diseases because of the presence of crises that increases the cost of medical attention. It is very important therefore to make a good diagnosis of asthma early on in order to bring adequate treatment, including immunotherapy. Education to these patients is also an important task, mainly in children.