Abstract
The causes of asthma death were studied on 164 patients, 101 male and 63 female, aged from 0 to 30 years old, from 1988 to 2000. Twelve cases were excluded because of non-asthma death such as car accident. Subjects studied were divided 2 groups, 1988-1997 and 1998-1999, depending on the period registered to observe the recent changes of causes of asthma death.
Annual number of asthma death decreased in last group comparing with former group. Concerning grade of severity, severe (43.8%), moderately severe (30.5%) and mild (25.7%) are in former group, severe (40.0%), moderately severe (40.0%), mild (20.0%) in last group. Unexpected sudden exacerbation were 92% in former group, and 100% in last group. The delay by patients and/or families in seeking help was 88% in former group and 63% in last group. The delay in seeking help when condition begin to deteriorate was made by patients in 70% in former group and in 67% in last group, and by families in 69% in former group and in 60% 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 fenoterol by MDI and 2 of them tulobuterol by MDI. There are no reported case with overtreatment or overreliance in 1999.
