Abstract

ARTEAGA PRADO, Yanin et al. Epidemiological characterization of acute decompensation of bronchial asthma. Rev Ciencias Médicas [online]. 2013, vol.17, n.4, pp. 94-104. ISSN 1561-3194.

Introduction: bronchial asthma has a complex pathophysiology involving the presence of genetic factors of atopy and dysfunctional immunological mechanisms in the patient. Objective: to characterize the association of diverse epidemiological aspects with the onset of acute decompensation of bronchial asthma. Material and method: a descriptive and cross-sectional study comprising 118 patients from two Doctor's offices at "Hermanos Cruz" University Clinic, Pinar del Rio city during the first three-month of 2012. The group of patients suffering from decompensation of the disease was compared with the group of stable patients. A questionnaire was applied to explore variables of interest. To verify the association among variables chi-square test was used for a statistical significance level of á=0.05. Results: acute decompensation was almost two times more frequent in female sex. In some significant extend (Z=3,26 p<0,01) a third part of the asthmatic people; housewives and students were the most affected. Only 38,1% of the asthmatic group had an adequate follow- up by specialists (general practitioner, paediatrician, allergist or immunologist) and out of them only the 11,1% presented acute decompensation, meanwhile 39, 7% of those having not a specialized follow-up suffered from decompensation. Conclusions: the degradation of living conditions in their houses favored the onset of acute decompensation of asthma. There were pets in three-quarter of the houses, observing a strong association between this condition and the onset of acute decompensations in asthmatic patients.

Keywords : Asthma [epidemiology]; Risk factors.

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