Journal of Clinical Respiratory Diseases & Care: Open Access

Objective: We investigated the factors that delay recovery from asthma exacerbation. Analyses were performed on subjects who needed to be admitted due to asthma exacerbation in our hospital from 2008 to 2014. Method: Ninety-five adult subjects who needed hospitalization with asthma exacerbation were analyzed. The number of patients and the duration of hospital stay were analyzed statistically according to age (under 65 years of age versus 65 years or over), sex and respiratory infection. Results: The numbers of males and females were 34 and 61, respectively. The average duration of hospitalization in patients 65 years or over was 14.0 ± 8.7 days, and that in those under 65 years of age was 8.9 ± 4.2 days (P=0.0006). Twenty-nine patients had respiratory infection while 16 did not in those under 65 years of age. The durations of hospital stay in patients under 65 years of age with and without respiratory infection were 8.1 ± 3.8 and 10.8 ± 4.3 days, respectively (P=0.04). Thirty-three patients had respiratory infection and 17 patients did not in those aged 65 years or over. The durations of hospital stay in patients 65 years or over with and without respiratory infection were 15.0 ± 9.3 and 12.4 ± 8.1 days, respectively (P=0.34). Conclusion: Being elderly (65 years or over) is a factor that prolongs the duration of hospital stay for asthma exacerbation. Respiratory infection seems to be a major factor which influence the duration of hospitalization for asthma exacerbation in patients under 65 years of age. On the other hand, respiratory infection is not a major factor of the duration of hospitalization for asthma exacerbation in patients 65 years over or over.