Characteristics of older adult hospitalized patients with bronchial asthma: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammation of the airways. Older adult patients with bronchial asthma are defined as patients older than 65 and with a previous or current clear diagnosis of asthma. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of older adult hospitalized patients with bronchial asthma. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data from patients with bronchial asthma admitted to the General Hospital of the Northern Theater Command from September 2018 to January 2020. We divided them into the older adult (≥ 65 years) and the younger (< 65 years) groups. We compared the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the two groups. RESULTS: There were 181 inpatients with bronchial asthma, including 41 older adult patients, accounting for 22.7%. There were significant differences in age, sex, smoking, duration of disease, age at diagnosis of asthma, hospital stays, hospitalization costs, number of acute attacks 1 year before admission, number of hospitalizations in our hospital one year before admission, asthma control test score, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, the severity of acute attacks, comorbidities, and inhaled corticosteroid dose between the two groups. There were many older adult patients with asthma (mostly late-onset asthma). The hospitalization costs were high. Most patients had many comorbidities, poor asthma control, severe attack, and heavy economic burdens. CONCLUSION: Attention should be focused on achieving asthma control in older adult patients to improve their quality of life and reduce their economic burdens.