ABSTRACT
We collected data on patients above the age of 5 years with acute bronchial asthma who presented to the emergency room of Hospital Sains Universiti Sains Malaysia during the period between 1 January to 31 March 1990. Two hundred and twelve patients (57% males and 43% females) who made a total of 271 visits were recorded. This constitutes 16.3% of all adults and paediatric medical cases seen in the emergency room during this period. The majority of patients presented between 8 pm and 6 am which contrasts with the attendance pattern due to other causes. We also recorded two peak periods of presentation (between 8 pm and 12 midnight and between 6 am and 10 am). Thirty-one (11.4%) cases resulted in admission. Of the 240 cases that were successfully treated and discharged from the emergency room, there were 59 relapses (in 45 patients). Twenty-two percent of the relapses occurred within 24 hours of the last visits. We recorded lower rates of admission as well as relapses compared to all previous studies. Our finding of bimodal pattern of presentations was also not previously reported.
