Tracking Pediatric Asthma:The Massachusetts Experience Using School Health Records

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, initiated a 3-year statewide project for the routine surveillance of asthma in children using school health records as the primary data source. School district nurse leaders received electronic data reporting forms requesting the number of children with asthma by grade and gender for schools serving grades kindergarten (K) through 8. Verification efforts from an earlier community-level study comparing a select number of school health records with primary care provider records demonstrated a high level of agreement (i.e., > 95%). First-year surveillance targeted approximately one-half (n = 958 schools) of all Massachusetts’s K–8 schools. About 78% of targeted school districts participated, and 70% of the targeted schools submitted complete asthma data. School nurse–reported asthma prevalence was as high as 30.8% for schools, with a mean of 9.2%. School-based asthma surveillance has been demonstrated to be a reliable and cost-effective method of tracking disease through use of an existing and enhanced reporting structure

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Interventions Used to Reduce Exposure to House Dust and Their Effect on the Development and Severity of Asthma

We assessed whether any household dust reduction intervention has the effect of increasing or decreasing the development or severity of atopic disease. Electronic searches on household intervention and atopic disease were conducted in 2007 in EMBASE, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. We included randomized controlled trials comparing asthma outcomes in a household intervention group with either placebo intervention or no intervention. Meta-analyses on the prevention studies found that the interventions made no difference to the onset of wheeze but made a significant reduction in physician-diagnosed asthma. Meta-analysis of lung function outcomes indicated no improvement due to the interventions but found a reduction in symptom days. Qualitatively, health care was used less in those receiving interventions. However, in one study that compared intervention, placebo, and control arms, the reduction in heath care use was similar in the placebo and intervention arms. This review suggests that there is not sufficient evidence to suggest implementing hygiene measures in an attempt to improve outcomes in existing atopic disease, but interventions from birth in those at high risk of atopy are useful in preventing diagnosed asthma but not parental-reported wheeze

National Prevalence and Exposure Risk for Cockroach Allergen in U.S. Households

We characterized the prevalence of cockroach allergen exposure in a nationally representative sample of U.S. homes and assessed risk factors for elevated concentrations. DESIGN: We used data from the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing, a population-based cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were residents of 831 U.S. homes in the survey. EVALUATIONS/MEASUREMENTS: We analyzed allergen, questionnaire, and observational data of 831 U.S. homes. RESULTS: Cockroach allergen (Bla g 1) concentrations exceed 2.0 U/g, a level associated with allergic sensitization, in 11% of U.S. living room floors and 13% of kitchen floors. Concentrations exceed 8.0 U/g, a level associated with asthma morbidity, in 3% of living room floors and 10% of kitchen floors. Elevated concentrations were observed in high-rise apartments, urban settings, pre-1940 constructions, and households with incomes < $20,000. Odds of having concentrations > 8.0 U/g were greatest when roach problems were reported or observed and increased with the number of cockroaches observed and with indications of recent cockroach activity. CONCLUSIONS: Household cockroach allergen exposure is characterized in a nationally representative context. The allergen is prevalent in many settings, at levels that may contribute to allergic sensitization and asthma morbidity. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL OR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Likelihood of exposure can be assessed by consideration of demographic and household determinants

Simulation-Based Estimates of Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Smoking Cessation in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

International audienceBACKGROUND: The medico-economic impact of smoking cessation considering a smoking patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is poorly documented. OBJECTIVE: Here, considering a COPD smoking patient, the specific burden of continuous smoking was estimated, as well as the effectiveness and the cost-effectiveness of smoking cessation. METHODS: A multi-state Markov model adopting society's perspective was developed. Simulated cohorts of English COPD patients who are active smokers (all severity stages combined or patients with the same initial severity stage) were compared to identical cohorts of patients who quit smoking at cohort initialization. Life expectancy, quality adjusted life-years (QALY), disease-related costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER: £/QALY) were estimated, considering smoking cessation programs with various possible scenarios of success rates and costs. Sensitivity analyses included the variation of model key parameters. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: At the horizon of a smoking COPD patient's remaining lifetime, smoking cessation at cohort intitialization, relapses being allowed as observed in practice, would result in gains (mean) of 1.27 life-years and 0.68 QALY, and induce savings of -1824 £/patient in the disease-related costs. The corresponding ICER was -2686 £/QALY. Smoking cessation resulted in 0.72, 0.69, 0.64 and 0.42 QALY respectively gained per mild, moderate, severe, and very severe COPD patient, but was nevertheless cost-effective for mild to severe COPD patients in most scenarios, even when hypothesizing expensive smoking cessation intervention programmes associated with low success rates. Considering a ten-year time horizon, the burden of continuous smoking in English COPD patients was estimated to cost a total of 1657 M£ while 452516 QALY would be simultaneously lost. CONCLUSIONS: The study results are a useful support for the setting of smoking cessation programmes specifically targeted to COPD patients

Air Pollution–Associated Changes in Lung Function among Asthmatic Children in Detroit

In a longitudinal cohort study of primary-school–age children with asthma in Detroit, Michigan, we examined relationships between lung function and ambient levels of particulate matter ≤ 10 μm and ≤ 2.5 μm in diameter (PM(10) and PM(2.5)) and ozone at varying lag intervals using generalized estimating equations. Models considered effect modification by maintenance corticosteroid (CS) use and by the presence of an upper respiratory infection (URI) as recorded in a daily diary among 86 children who participated in six 2-week seasonal assessments from winter 2001 through spring 2002. Participants were predominantly African American from families with low income, and > 75% were categorized as having persistent asthma. In both single-pollutant and two-pollutant models, many regressions demonstrated associations between higher exposure to ambient pollutants and poorer lung function (increased diurnal variability and decreased lowest daily values for forced expiratory volume in 1 sec) among children using CSs but not among those not using CSs, and among children reporting URI symptoms but not among those who did not report URIs. Our findings suggest that levels of air pollutants in Detroit, which are above the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards, adversely affect lung function of susceptible asthmatic children

Factors associated with reporting multiple causes of death

BACKGROUND: There is analytical potential for multiple cause of death data collected from death certificates. This study examines relationships of multiple causes of death as a function of factors available on the death certificate (demographics of decedent, place of death, type of certifier, disposal method, whether an autopsy was performed, and year of death). METHODS: Data from 326,332 Minnesota death certificates from 1990–1998 are examined. Underlying and non-underlying causes of death are examined (based on record axis codes) as well as demographic and death-related covariates. Associations between covariates and prevalence of multiple causes of death and conditional probability of underlying compared to non-underlying causes of death are examined. The occurrence of ischemic heart disease or diabetes as underlying causes are specifically examined. RESULTS: Both the probability of multiple causes of death and the proportion of underlying cause compared to non-underlying cause of death are associated with demographic characteristics of the deceased and other non-medical conditions related to filing death certificate such as place of death. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple cause of death data provide a potentially useful way of looking for inaccuracies in reporting of causes of death. Differences across demographics in the proportion of time a cause is selected as underlying compared to non-underlying exist and can potentially provide useful information about the overall impact of causes of death in different populations

Identifying and characterizing COPD patients in US managed care. A retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of administrative claims data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death among US adults and is projected to be the third by 2020. In anticipation of the increasing burden imposed on healthcare systems and payers by patients with COPD, a means of identifying COPD patients who incur higher healthcare utilization and costs is needed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of US managed care administrative claims data describes a practical way to identify COPD patients. We analyze 7.79 million members for potential inclusion in the COPD cohort, who were continuously eligible during a 1-year study period. A younger commercial population (7.7 million) is compared with an older Medicare population (0.115 million). We outline a novel approach to stratifying COPD patients using "complexity" of illness, based on occurrence of claims for given comorbid conditions. Additionally, a unique algorithm was developed to identify and stratify COPD exacerbations using claims data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 42,565 commercial (median age 56 years; 51.4% female) and 8507 Medicare patients (median 75 years; 53.1% female) were identified as having COPD. Important differences were observed in comorbidities between the younger commercial versus the older Medicare population. Stratifying by complexity, 45.0%, 33.6%, and 21.4% of commercial patients and 36.6%, 35.8%, and 27.6% of older patients were low, moderate, and high, respectively. A higher proportion of patients with high complexity disease experienced multiple (≥2) exacerbations (61.7% commercial; 49.0% Medicare) than patients with moderate- (56.9%; 41.6%), or low-complexity disease (33.4%; 20.5%). Utilization of healthcare services also increased with an increase in complexity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In patients with COPD identified from Medicare or commercial claims data, there is a relationship between complexity as determined by pulmonary and non-pulmonary comorbid conditions and the prevalence of exacerbations and utilization of healthcare services. Identification of COPD patients at highest risk of exacerbations using complexity stratification may facilitate improved disease management by targeting those most in need of treatment.</p

Reduction in Asthma Morbidity in Children as a Result of Home Remediation Aimed at Moisture Sources

OBJECTIVE: Home dampness and the presence of mold and allergens have been associated with asthma morbidity. We examined changes in asthma morbidity in children as a result of home remediation aimed at moisture sources. DESIGN: In this prospective, randomized controlled trial, symptomatic, asthmatic children (n = 62), 2–17 years of age, living in a home with indoor mold, received an asthma intervention including an action plan, education, and individualized problem solving. The remediation group also received household repairs, including reduction of water infiltration, removal of water-damaged building materials, and heating/ventilation/air-conditioning alterations. The control group received only home cleaning information. We measured children’s total and allergen-specific serum immuno-globulin E, peripheral blood eosinophil counts, and urinary cotinine. Environmental dust samples were analyzed for dust mite, cockroach, rodent urinary protein, endotoxin, and fungi. The follow-up period was 1 year. RESULTS: Children in both groups showed improvement in asthma symptomatic days during the preremediation portion of the study. The remediation group had a significant decrease in symptom days (p = 0.003, as randomized; p = 0.004, intent to treat) after remodeling, whereas these parameters in the control group did not significantly change. In the postremediation period, the remediation group had a lower rate of exacerbations compared with control asthmatics (as treated: 1 of 29 vs. 11 of 33, respectively, p = 0. 003; intent to treat: 28.1% and 10.0%, respectively, p = 0.11). CONCLUSION: Construction remediation aimed at the root cause of moisture sources and combined with a medical/behavioral intervention significantly reduces symptom days and health care use for asthmatic children who live in homes with a documented mold problem

Trends in hospital admissions and mortality from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Australia, 1993-2003

The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia (8 May 2008). An external link to the publisher’s copy is includedObjective: To examine evolving changes in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in South Australia and Australia as a whole from the perspective of hospital admissions, ventilatory support and mortality data. Design: Retrospective analyses, for the period 1993–2003, of hospital separations data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Integrated South Australian Activity Collection, and mortality data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and South Australian hospital morbidity collection. Main outcome measures: Hospital separations, ventilatory support episodes, mortality rates, burden-of-disease rankings. Results: Between 1993 and 2003, in SA and nationally, hospital separations for asthma declined but separations for COPD increased significantly. Falling mortality rates from asthma in both men and women, and from COPD in men, contrast with increasing rates of COPD-related hospitalisation and mortality in women. Conclusions: Hospital admissions and mortality associated with asthma have fallen. Admission rates for COPD are declining for men, but there is no indication that admission rates for women have reached a peak. There is a need for higher prioritisation of COPD, including policies to reduce smoking in women, and medical practice initiatives to support primary and secondary prevention, pulmonary rehabilitation and appropriate drug therapies.David H Wilson, Graeme Tucker, Peter Frith, Sarah Appleton, Richard E Ruffin and Robert J Adam