Volume 19 Issue 1 March 2010Original Research
Children with asthma on inhaled corticosteroids managed
in general practice or by hospital paediatricians: is there a
difference?
Pages 62-67
*Maarten C Kuethea, Anja A Vaessen-Verbernea, Patrick J Bindelsb, Wim M van Aalderenc
a
Department of Paediatrics, Amphia Hospital, Breda, Noord Brabant, Netherlands
b
Department of General Practice Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
c
Department of Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Academical Medical Centre, Amsterdam Zuid Oost, Netherlands
Received 24 December 2008 • Accepted 2 September 2009 • Online 7 December 2009
Abstract
AIM: To investigate whether there are differences in asthma characteristics between two populations of children with moderate asthma
requiring inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) who are treated in general practice or in hospital practice.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: 45 children from general practice and 62 from hospital practice, diagnosed with asthma and treated with ICS,
were analysed in terms of lung function parameters, asthma control (ACQ), and use of medication.
RESULTS: Children in general practice did not differ significantly from those in paediatric practice with respect to mean age, lung function
tests, and corrected daily dose of ICS. The median ACQ score was higher (representing poorer control) in the general practice group than
in the paediatric practice group (0.67 and 0.33 respectively, p < 0.05). Fewer children (22.7%) from the general practice group than from
the paediatric group (98.4%) had planned review visits (p< 0.01). Prescriptions for a combination ICS/long-acting β2-agonist (LABA)
inhaler were 28.9% in the general practice group and 6.5% in the paediatric group (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION: The hospital-based group was better controlled with less frequent use of combination therapy. Our observations stress the
necessity for regular review visits for children with moderately severe asthma especially in general practice.
Keywords
Asthma, paediatrics, management, primary care, general practitioner, paediatrician, inhaled corticosteroids,
lung function
* Corresponding author. Maarten C Kuethe Tel: +3176 5954228 Fax: +3176 5952387 Email: mkuethe@amphia.nl | |
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