November 3, 2010 – Children whose asthma attacks are triggered by allergic reactions are much more likely to wind up being treated in intensive care units for severe symptoms of asthma, a new study shows. Researchers at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center studied data on 188 children who were admitted to the hospital for asthma attacks between July 2008 and July 2009. They report that 30% of those children, 57 of them, had symptoms so severe that they were admitted to the ICU. The study showed that children admitted to the ICU were significantly more likely to have had their asthma attack triggered by allergies. Also, children admitted to the ICU had been sick for shorter periods, on average, than those hospitalized but not admitted to the ICU, implying more rapid and severe exacerbations.

The researchers report that month of hospital admission was a significant factor in the severity of attacks. In August and October, children admitted to the hospital were much more likely to be admitted to the ICU as compared with other months. The researchers conclude that allergic reactions, possible from season change, may increase the incidence of severe asthma attacks. This study was presented during CHEST 2010, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Dr. Kenneth Backman points out: “the above referenced study emphasizes the importance of identifying allergies in asthma patients, and treating allergies appropriately to help prevent asthma attacks.”