ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The respiratory tract infections including pneumonia have been the major contributing factor for bronchial asthma, and are frequently involved in hospitalization due to asthma attack. We studied clinical characteristics of hospitalized cases due to asthma attack with and without pneumonic infiltrates. METHODS: Over 5 years between January 1993 and December 1997, 628 patients were hospitalized due to asthma attack. 315 of them had pneumonic infiltrates on chest X-ray (defined as pneumonia group) and 197 patients had no pneumonic infiltrates (uncomplicated group). The clinical characteristics of both groups were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The age on admission and first attack in pneumonia group were significantly younger than those of uncomplicated group (P<0.05). The incidence of male was higher than that of female in both groups. The interval from attack to admission and duration of hospitalization were much longer in pneumonia group (P<0.05). The bronchial asthma attack was most frequently occurred between September and November. The atopy-perennial type was predominant in the both groups, and the incidence of non-atopy type was higher in the pneumonia group. The mild asthma attack was predominant in the pneumonia group and moderate one was predominant in the uncomplicated group. The incidence of fever and inflammatory reaction (peripheral blood WBC count, serum CRP level) were higher in the pneumonia group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the serum IgE level between two groups. CONCLUSION: Frequency and duration of hospitalization due to asthma attack might be lessened by prevention against respiratory tract infection.