Abstract
The causes of asthma death were studied on 158 patients, 98 male and 60 female, aged from 0 to 30 years old, from 1988 to 1999. Ten cases were excluded because of non-asthma death such as car accident.
Subjects studied were divided 2 groups, 1988-1994 and 1995-1998, depending on the period registerd to observed chronological changes of causes of asthma death.
Male/female ratio of asthma death decreased in last group comparing with former group.
Concrning garde of severity, severe (41%), moderate (32.5%) and mild (26%) are in former group, severe (45.2%), moderrate (29%), mild (25.8%) in last group.
In 0-6 years old group, number of the death home or in ambulance appear to decrease in last group comparing with former group.
Unexpected sudden exerbation were 89% in former group, and 98% in last group.
The delay by patients and/or families in seeking help was 95% in former group and 72% in last group.
The delay in seeking help when condition begin to deteriorate was made by patients in 69% in former group and in 71% in last group, and by families in 65% in formr group and in 71% in last group.
The possible causes of deaths were overtreatment with drugs in 21 cases and 14 of them were beta-stimulants by metered dose inhaler (MDI).
Nine of them reported to be fenetrol by MDI and 2 of them tulobuterol by MDI.
