Details of the personal history of asthma in children admitted to hospital with an exacerbation (n = 266)
| No of children | (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age of asthma onset (years) | ||
| 1–3 | 201 | (75.6) |
| 4–6 | 51 | (19.2) |
| 7–15 | 14 | (5.3) |
| Median (IQR) = 2 (2–3) | ||
| Functional severity scale of underlying asthma | ||
| Low | 41 | (15.4) |
| Mild | 79 | (29.7) |
| Moderate | 94 | (35.3) |
| Severe | 52 | (19.5) |
| Pattern of asthma (previous 12 months) | ||
| Infrequent episodic asthma | 162 | (60.9) |
| Frequent episodic asthma | 69 | (25.9) |
| Persistent asthma | 35 | (13.2) |
| Seasonal pattern of symptoms | ||
| Winter | 77 | (28.9) |
| Spring | 14 | (5.3) |
| Summer | 20 | (7.5) |
| Autumn | 10 | (3.8) |
| No pattern | 145 | (54.5) |
| Asthma attendances in the emergency department in the last 12 months | 144 | (54.1) |
| Hospital admission over the last 12 months | 121 | (45.5) |
| Previous admissions to the intensive care unit | 30 | (11.3) |
| Limitation during exercise (more often than monthly) | 101 | (38) |
| Daily use of β2 agonists | 73 | (27) |
| School absenteeism: median number (IQR) of days off school in the past 12 months because of asthma symptoms = 7 (3–15) | ||
IQR = interquartile range.