Trends in asthma visits to accident and emergency centres in Trinidad during 1997 and associations with climate variables

OBJECTIVES: To describe trends in asthma visits to Accident and Emergency (A&E) facilities during 1997 and to examine their associations with climatic conditions. DESIGN AND METHODS: A census of patients with asthma, defined as those who required brochodilator nebulization, was taken at five A&E facilities in Trinidad. Data on patients' age, gender and date of visit were obtained from the A&E records and, climate variables, including rainfall, temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed, were obtained from the Meteorological Office. RESULTS: There was a total of 27,848 asthma visits to the five facilities during 1997, of which the paediatric population(<16 years) accounted for 43 percent. There were steady increases in adult and elderly visits from January to December. A sharp increase in paediatric visits was observed in September, which coincided with the start of the school year. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that paediatric visits to the A&E were positively associated with temperature and wind speed, while adults' visits were positively associated with temperature and relative humidity. None of the climatic variables predicted asthma visits in the elderly. CONCLUSION: There is a need for further research to explain the increase in paediatric visits at the start of the school year as well as to elucidate the mechanism for the observed associations between climate and asthma visits. (Au)

Descriptive epidemiology of asthma in Trinidad, West Indies.

This cross-sectional study documents the demographic features of asthmatics seeking acute asthma care at four institutions on the island of Trinidad from January 1 to December 31, 1997. More than 15,000 (15,035) different patients made 27,353 visits during the study period. Pediatric and adolescent male patients outnumbered females, but this was reversed in patients aged 20-69 years. Frequency of visits per patient ranged from 1 to 242. Significant variation in monthly admissions was observed; admission rates were highest in the last quarter of the year but were lowest in July and August. The overall crude prevalence rate was estimated at 1.71 per 100 (range 1.16-2.34).

An analysis of asthma admissions to Accident & Emergency Departments at four centres in Trinidad for the period January 1 - June 30, 1997

We report on the demographic features of 11,869 asthmatic patients who made 14,074 visits to four Accident & Emergency (A & E) Departments for bronchodilator nebulisation during the first half of 1997. Most patients (30 percent) were between 3 and 12 years old. There was a male predominance in the paediatric population and in patients aged 60 years and over. Female patients exceeded males from the second to fifth decades. Female to male ratios were highest during the third and fourth decades. Admission figures in the different centres showed fewer patients attending in January and April with increase admissions in February and March. The A&E service at Chaguanas differed from the other centres in having a marked increase in admissions during May.(AU)