Assessment of asthma control in pediatric asthmatic patients.

Abstract

Background: Asthma is a commonest chronic disease which‘s increasing in prevalence. It affects patient quality of life even family economy and become a burden. The global burden of asthma can be reduced by efforts of individuals, health care providers, health care organizations and national governments to improve asthma control. GINA helps health providers to achieve to optimal asthma control by using guidelines according to the age. But developing countries are still facing barriers to achieve satisfactory asthma control. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to evaluate asthma control level of asthmatic children presenting at in Pediatric department in CHUK and MUHIMA District Hospital. Methods: This is a Cross section study which used an interview with questionnaires based on Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) criteria on asthma control level categories for data collection. This data collection tool was used in order to make sure that information of asthmatic children from 3 years to 15 years old received at the Emergency department or Outpatient Department at CHUK and MUHIMA District Hospital for a period from 1st July 2015 to 30th January 2016 were included. By using logistic regression, factors associated with asthma control level and factors related were analysed and were arranged according to their strength. Results: The study findings showed that 19% of asthmatic children presenting at selected hospitals were well controlled; 50% were partly controlled and 31 % were uncontrolled. We also observed that among those were followed at referral hospital, 89% were on drugs and 11 % no medications and 70% who were followed up in District hospital and Private clinic were on drugs and 30% were not on drugs. In this study, findings showed also that gender, parent education level, time known as asthmatic, time spent on treatment and being followed by a same doctor are factors associated to the asthma control level.